Bolts stay alive, force do-or-die

Game Wednesday

(Smart Araneta Coliseum)

7 p.m. – Meralco vs Alaska

MANILA, Philippines – Meralco fought with all its might, spunk and grit with its back against the wall, building momentum late in the third quarter and going on to smother Alaska Milk, 86-70, to force a deciding Game Five in their Oppo PBA Commissioner’s Cup Final Four showdown at the Smart Araneta Coliseum Monday night.

Jared Dillinger beat the buzzer at the end of the third with a shocking trey from beyond the midcourt line then the Bolts stepped up in the payoff period, opening up a 21-point spread and never looking back to send the best-of-five series to full distance.

“It’s all about fighting for one more day,” said Meralco coach Norman Black.

“Our last 24 hours was focused on this game. It’s basically about trying to live to fight another game. We got back to basics about defense, and it held up,” Black also said.

Even-steven with two games apiece, the Bolts and the Aces square off for one last time at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the same venue with the winner advancing to the best-of-seven finals against Rain or Shine.

 Arinze Onuaku and Cliff Hodge delivered double-double games with Dillinger, Bryan Faundo, Jimmy Alapag, Chris Newsome and Anjo Caram also coming through with brilliant effort as the Bolts stayed in the hunt for a first PBA finals.

Never in franchise history had the Bolts come to this – a game away from the championship series.

“Energy will be a key. It’s one game. We’ll pour in everything and let’s see,” said Black.

Onuaku came up with 16 points and the same number of rebounds, Hodge collected 14 markers and 12 boards with Dillinger adding 17 points and Faundo 12 as the Bolts foiled the Aces’ first crack at notching a third straight finals.

“Arinze had lot of energy tonight. The locals stepped up especially JD (Dillinger). Cliff Hodge hustled a lot,” said Black on the key factors in their turnaround from a 20-point blowout loss in Game Three.

The Bolts uncorked a huge 23-4 run from an eight-minute span bridging the last two quarters to peel away from a tight game.

While the Bolts hit a good rhythm from the third period, the Aces struggled all throughout, converting only 33 percent of their shots.

Rob Dozier was the lone bright spot for the Aces, getting away with 18 points and 15 rebounds. Calvin Abueva, the team’s top energy source, came up with only 10 markers and four boards.

Onuaku and his teammates endured a tough defensive battle in the first half before seizing the moment late in the third period and sustaining the momentum to the very end.

With each team really making it hard for one another, Meralco and Alaska fought through six dead locks and eight lead changes before the Bolts barely took the half at 36-34.

The Aces made only 13 of 42 field-goal attempts for their lowest output in any half in the conference.

As Alaska continued to throw clunkers in the early minutes of the second half, Meralco established control at 48-37.

Dozier scored eight straight markers, including back-to-back three-pointers, to rouse his team from a slumber, rallying to within two at 52-54.

But the Bolts quickly regrouped, ending the third at 62-52 on an eight-to-nothing salvo capped by that buzzer-beating three-pointer by Dillinger from way, way out.