NorthPort made sure to build momentum entering a long layoff as it hacked a 90-85 victory over Meralco for a three-game winning streak in the Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Batang Pier had some anxious moments in the waning seconds of the game after going up by 12 points in the second quarter but were able to hold on to improve to a 3-1 win-loss record tied with idle NLEX.
It was NorthPort’s muscles underneath that showed the way on offense with JM Calma and Arvin Tolentino punching in 16 points each. Calma pulled down eight rebounds while Tolentino had six boards, five assists with one steal and one block.
However, head coach Bonnie Tan was specifically happy with the composure shown by his wards down the stretch for the franchise’s best-ever start in the Philippine Cup.
“Playing against Meralco we knew they would come back from our double-digit lead. I just requested for the team to keep their composure in the end game. (Come) winning time, what we did in the first half won’t matter,” Tan said of the club’s last game before the All-Star and Holy Week break.
“Although we did well, we were just tight in the first half but in the second half we made sure that we got a good start and our composure in the end game delivered us the ‘W.’”
NorthPort will return to action on 5 April against TNT.
Aaron Black and Chris Newsome tried to will the Bolts back late in the fourth quarter from an 81-88 deficit with a little over a minute left.
Meralco breathed down NorthPort’s neck, 88-85, after Newsome scored on an and-one play with 8.2 seconds left. He, however, missed his bonus free throw as Zav Lucero took the defensive board before Cade Flores knocked down the final basket of the game.
Paul Zamar added 14 points while Flores had 13 points, six rebounds and a season-high six steals in Batang Pier’s total of 18 swipes.
NorthPort had a strong start in the first half and opened a 39-27 lead from a Tolentino triple with 6:22 second quarter. But the Bolts mounted a counterstrike to tie the game at 43 entering halftime.
Black finished with 18 points, Newsome got 15 points while Raymond Almazan had 12 points and six rebounds as Meralco dropped to a 1-3 slate.
