SUMMARY
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Meralco hoped Raymond Almazan will plug its defensive hole and the big man certainly did not disappoint.
Almazan came up with the game-winning block as Meralco forced a winner-take-all match against Barangay Ginebra in the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals with an 83-80 win.
Ginebra trailed by only a point, 80-81, with 15 seconds left and had a chance to wrap up the best-of-five series in 4 games only to witness Almazan deny the potential go-head bucket of Stanley Pringle.
One thing led to another as the rejection paved the way for a fast break opportunity, with Chris Newsome converting a layup for the final tally.
“That was a huge block by Raymond. He is really our inside defender, a guy we count on to be the last line of defense around the basket,” said Meralco head coach Norman Black.
Black, though, admitted Almazan is still not at his best shape as he continues to recover from the knee injury he sustained in the Governors’ Cup finals last season against – ironically – Ginebra.
With Almazan leaving Game 3 due to the injury, Meralco lost 3 straight games as Ginebra closed out the series in just 5 matches.
But Almazan has made up for lost time, averaging 10.3 points and 6.5 rebounds in the semifinals, with Meralco one win away from ending its dry spell against Ginebra and reaching the All-Filipino finals for the first time.
Meralco has not won a series against Ginebra, losing in the Governors’ Cup finals thrice over the last 4 seasons.
“That was just a huge defensive play for us,” Black said. “It gives us a chance to tie the series at 2-2, and of course, to possibly win Game 5 and move on to the finals. – Rappler.com
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