Jeremy Lin instigated a telling second-half run and led the New Taipei Kings to an 89-77 win over the Meralco Bolts in the East Asia Super League Home and Away Season late Wednesday at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.
The 35-year-old Lin nailed back-to-back three pointers that highlighted an 11-0 blast by the visiting team at the start of the third period to finally take control of the game played before a sizable crowd Wednesday night.
Meralco just couldn’t do anything during the telling run and saw their five-point edge at the half wiped out in a five-minute stretch as the Knights jumped on to the lead for good, 53-47.
The Bolts never recovered from there and suffered a second straight loss at home for a 1-4 record.
The player behind the cultural phenomenon “Linsanity” in the National Basketball Association, Lin finished with a double-double of 23 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Kings to their third straight win — but first on the road — and keep the top spot in Group B.
Import Kenneth Manigault added 12 points, nine rebounds, and five steals for New Taipei, which also got 13 from former Taipei national team player Chin-Min Yang, and 11 each from Joseph Lin and Kai-Yan Lee.
“The first five minutes of that third quarter was such an important part of the game. We just didn’t get the job done in those first five minutes,” Meralco guard Chris Banchero said about the turning point of the game.
“We let them go. From there, we’re just fighting back,” he said. “It’s difficult when you put yourself in that situation.”
Import Zach Lofton, bothered by a hurting wrist, led Meralco with 20 points, while Allein Maliksi had 12 including eight in the first quarter. Banchero was the other Meralco player in double figures with 10 points.
The Bolts, who were swept in their two head-to-head meetings with the Kings, missed the services of an ailing Chris Newsome and Aaron Black.
“We’re not in the flow,” Meralco coach Luigi Trillo admitted.
“But I thought there were instances in the game that we played well. When the second group was in, we we’re moving the ball well. First group came back in, and we kind of got the lead in that second quarter.”
The scores:
NEW TAIPEI KINGS (89) — Jeremy Lin 23, Yang 13, Manigault 12, Joseph Lin 11, Lee 11, Blankley 7, Anigwe 6, Su 4, Davis 2, Chien 0, Wang 0, Hung 0.
MERALCO (77) — Lofton 20, Maliksi 12, Banchero 10, Hodge 8, Quinto 8, Ibeh 7, Almazan 5, Rios 4, Dario 3, Pascual 0, Bates 0.
QUARTERS: 21-21; 42-47; 66-58; 89-77.
