Kings check Bolts anew, go 2-0

LA’S the Ace

MANILA, Philippines — LA Tenorio recalled the old fire as Barangay Ginebra outfought Meralco in a slam-bang battle and chiseled out an 86-76 win for a commanding 2-0 lead in their PBA Governors Cup best-of-seven title playoff last night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Relatively silent through the first three quarters, Tenorio lit fireworks in the crunch, standing tall in a devastating endgame flurry the Kings unleashed to follow up their 102-87 triumph in Game One.

Tenorio scored 10 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter, including a fake-off basket off two defenders that shattered a 75-all count and shot clock-beating triple that all but sealed their win at 82-75 entering the final minute of the game.

The heroics of the 2016 Governors Cup Finals MVP didn’t end there.

He stole off Baser Amer then nailed two charities, fanning wild celebration of the huge Ginebra gallery that included the team’s original dynamic duo in Robert Jaworski and Francis Arnaiz, and confessed big Ginebra fan Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, the PNP chief.

“LA’s a big shot maker for us the whole conference. He’s done that so many times,” said Ginebra coach Tim Cone, pointing to Tenorio’s three-pointer as the biggest shot of the game.

“That’s the dagger. They made a crucial separation with that shot,” said Meralco coach Norman Black.

Tenorio personally foiled Meralco’s shot at tying the series. Tenorio and his teammates try to move in the threshold of a first title repeat for the franchise in Game Three on Wednesday also at the Big Dome.

“We took a big punch from them early in the game. We kind of survived that and were able to make it a possession-for-possession battle. When we tied, we fed on the energy and seized the opportunity to win the game,” said Cone.

Despite beating Meralco in a lopsided game then in a fierce battle, Cone, however, wouldn’t count Meralco out yet.

“We beat them two in a row, and they certainly can beat us two in a row and tie the series. We can’t be happy and pleased. There’s still so much work to do. But’s it’s always nice to be up,” said Cone.

Black acknowledged Ginebra picked up on defense at the crucial moment, winning the game in holding the Bolts without a field-goal basket in the last six minutes of the game.

From a 75-69 count, the Bolts were limited to a single free throw conversion by Ranidel de Ocampo.