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| Ismael Romero scores on a slam. EASL |
ANTIPOLO--Meralco braved a gallant stand from Taoyuan for an 85-76 victory in its first EASL home stand on Saturday night at The Capital Arena in Ilagan.
Up by as much as 22 points in the third quarter, the Bolts suddenly found themselves up by only seven, 78-71, with 1:29 to play in the fourth.
They only held on after Rondae Hollis-Jefferson scored on a clutch layup and Bong Quinto fired a dagger three with 42 seconds remaining.
Sina Vahedi made an impression in his EASL debut for Meralco, finally winning an EASL game after a 0-2 start, as he put up 22 points on 8-of-16 shooting, two rebounds, seven assists, and one steal.
Ismael Romero also had 22 points on 10-for-19 shooting with 14 rebounds, four assists, and one steal, while Hollis-Jefferson finished with 15 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, three steals, and three blocks.
Ange Kouame, who stepped in for Justin Brownlee, reportedly down due to pneumonia, in the naturalized player spot, had a quiet three points and four rebounds.
Setric Millner led the now 2-1 Pilots in a losing effort with 19 points, eight rebounds, and one assist, but his late free throw with one second left could prove crucial as the Taiwanese team, which won by 10 during their first meeting in Taoyuan, has a slight head-to-head advantage against the Bolts, which could be vital in breaking ties in the end.
The game pushed through despite the threat of typhoon "Uwan" since the significant effect will only be felt on Sunday.
