Durham, Amer take charge in as Meralco nips NLEX

Games Friday

(Smart Araneta Coliseum)

4:15 p.m. – Mahindra vs TNT KaTropa

7 p.m. – Phoenix vs NLEX

MANILA, Philippines – Allen Durham came up with yet another superb all-around effort while reserve guard Baser Amer struck in an opportune moment in the absence of Jimmy Alapag as Meralco held off NLEX, 101-95, to stick it out with the frontrunners in the PBA Governors Cup elimination round at the Smart Araneta Coliseum Wednesday night.

Durham piled up 31 points, 17 rebounds and five assists while Amer scored all of his seven markers with the game in the balance in the last 90 seconds of the contest.

Cliff Hodge, Chris Newsome, Jared Dillinger and Kelly Nabong also played key roles early on as the Bolts chalked up a second straight win and closed in on TNT KaTropa (6-0), Barangay Ginebra (5-2) and Mahindra (5-2) with a 5-3 win-loss record.

NLEX fell one rung down to seventh place at 3-4, allowing Rain or Shine (3-3) to gain solo sixth.

“This was a really good team effort on our part today. We really showed we are a team in this game,” said Meralco coach Norman Black.

“Allen Durham is perhaps the best import around, but we got a lot of contributions from a lot of people. Newsome, Dillinger, Hodge and Nabong had their contributions and Amer made crucial shots in the end,” Black added.

Amer, who missed all his first six field-goal attempts, nailed two charities then banged away a three-pointer and a twinner in a sudden explosion at endgame to personally lift the Bolts past the Road Warriors.

The Bolts were barely ahead at 90-88 when the former San Beda chief point guard got away with his crucial binge at the finish.

Amer also came through with seven assists, four rebounds, two steals and one block in 25:53 minutes of action in the absence of Alapag due to a calf injury.

Anjo Caram, another former Bedan, alternated with Amer at the point sans another Meralco guard Jonathan Uyloan.

Before this game, Amer was playing only 15 minutes a game, submitting mere averages of 4.6 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists.

Black said he allowed Alapag to rest as he’s preserving him for the most crucial part of the tourney. “The goal is for him to be around playoff time,” said Black.

The Bolts built a double-digit spread, 44-34, in the first half but the Road Warriors waged a chase and threatened to turn the game around in the third, 64-58.

The Road Warriors engaged the Bolts in a battle to the finish with import Henry Walker pouring in 16 points in the third period and 11 in the final canto.

Walker scored on a layup as the Road Warriors tied the count at 84 entering the last three minutes of the game.