July 22, 2017

Bolts seek second win, battle Kings in rematch of last year’s finals

BARANGAY Ginebra kicks off its PBA Governors Cup title defense the way it ended last season.

The Kings battle the Meralco Bolts on Sunday in a rematch of last year’s finals as they formally put into motion their bid for a back-to-back championship in the season-ending conference.

Nothing much has changed between the two teams since the league’s crowd favorite won the title series, 4-2, after a clutch, game-winning three-pointer by import Justine Brownlee at the buzzer clinched it for the Kings. Brownlee is again back for another tour of duty for the team, so is Allen Durham, last year’s Best Import awardee, for the Bolts.

If there’s any difference, Barangay Ginebra will parade anew returning big man Greg Slaughter in the 6:30 p.m. encounter. The 7-foot center out of Ateneo sat out last year’s title series as he recuperates and rehabilitates from an ACL injury he suffered during the mid-season.

Meralco no longer has veteran point guard Jimmy Alapag – who has since assumed an assistant coaching job with the franchise – around, but witnessed the coming out party of sophomore guard Baser Amer this year.

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The former San Beda star was again at the forefront in Meralco’s 107-78 rout of Blackwater Friday night, finishing with a team-high 20 points to complement the 18-point, 21-rebound effort of Durham.

The Bolts also unleashed new acquisition Garvo Lanete – a teammate of Amer with the Red Lions – who rose to the occasion by contributing 15 points.

“It’s exactly the type of start we hoped for,” said coach Norman Black of the win heading to the Ginebra game.

Black said he has no problem with Meralco not being mentioned among the top contenders this conference despite what the franchise achieved in this very same tournament a year ago.

He considers the Kings and the grand slam-seeking San Miguel Beermen as the two teams favored to win championship.

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"They’re (Kings and Beermen) two very good teams so they deserve whatever spotlight they get,” said the multi-titled mentor. “We’re just trying to win games just like everybody else.”