The Meralco Bolts showcased a lot of poise and heart in the semi-finals match-up with TNT KaTropa. Facing elimination in back-to-back games, the team responded with a pair of commanding victories.

Game 5’s 89-78 win was pretty much a carbon copy of Game 4 as the Bolts started the game slow and then turned up the jets to cruise past TNT’s defense.

TNT went to the break holding a 41-37 lead, and that was the last time they truly had some sense of control for the game. The second half was all about Meralco controlling the pace and capitalizing on their opponents’ mistakes. The Bolts were a different team in the third quarter and they ended up going plus 10 on points. All the momentum carried over in the final frame, particularly the defense, as they held to TNT to just three points in the first seven minutes of the quarter, just when they were chipping away in the scoreboard and piling up the pressure.

Allen Durham got the best help he’s had in a while

Allen Durham going berserk and producing great numbers is always a given. He did just that Monday night and put up 28 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists – it’s actually tame compared to his usual stat lines.

What’s great to see, however, is the locals that showed up to provide the import some much-needed lift. Chris Newsome led that charge by coming alive when it mattered the most. He scored 16 of his 23 points in the second half, including a handful of escapes and drives in the fourth when TNT was going for that one last hurrah of a comeback.

Role player Bong Quinto co-led with Newsome by hitting efficiently from the floor. The rookie sunk all of his attempts from downtown and went 7-for-9 for 19 big points.

Is third time the charm?

Meralco will be facing Ginebra for the third time since 2016. They lost on both previous occasions. Is the third time the charm for them?