SAN JOSE, Batangas – Midway through the final frame, rookie Brandon Bates swatted away a Japeth Aguilar attempt and then triggered a transition attack with Chris Banchero scoring on a layup on the offensive end that left a small section of Bolts fans behind the bench roaring in jubilation.
Meralco put up a defensive masterclass and knocked out Barangay Ginebra, 78-69, in Game 7 of their best-of-semifinals series to barge into its first-ever Philippine Cup Finals appearance on Friday, May 31, at the FPJ Arena here.
A pivotal second quarter set the tone for Meralco, baring its defensive fangs and limited Ginebra to just three points in a nine-minute span. The tight defense along with the Bolts finally getting their touches from deep allowed them to unload a blistering 19-3 run that turned a 17-29 deficit into a 36-31 advantage at the break.
Meralco, which had been on the bad end of its rivalry against Ginebra in best-of-seven series, never looked back from there and kept a double-digit advantage until the final buzzer.
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