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Meralco breaks loose late to defeat ROS

Allen Durham still came close to a 20-20 despite a relatively quiet night in scoring. PBA Media Group
By Ivan Saldajeno

MANILA--Meralco went on a late fourth quarter run to defuse Rain Or Shine, 91-82, in a crucial PBA Governors' Cup clash at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City on Sunday night.

With both sides fighting to stay alive in the playoff race, the Bolts used an 8-0 run midway through the fourth quarter to take the lead for good from the Elasto Painters, 82-74.

Meralco even stretched the lead to 13 within the last two minutes before settling for the nine-point winning margin.

While it may be a far cry from his previous outings, Allen Durham still led the Bolts, who moved up to 4-6 with one game left in their schedule, in scoring with 19 points while making it up in the other aspects with 20 rebounds, six assists, and one block.

It was actually a more balanced attack by them in scoring as six players, including Durham, scored in double figures with Mike Tolomia the top local with 17 points off the bench.

Norbert Torres had his best outing in a Rain Or Shine uniform, tallying 16 markers, six boards, and two assists in a game where Terrence Watson was limited to just 14 points.

The result gave Alaska and Blackwater, which are playing as of posting, a free entry to the quarterfinals along with idle Phoenix.

Follow him on Twitter: @IvanSaldajeno