Meralco gets salvation on a Sunday
Sunday Salvacion sure knows how to give a “Sunday treat”.
Proving he’s up to the challenge, Salvacion banked in a cold-blooded triple as time expired, helping the Meralco Bolts get away with a dramatic 90-89 victory over the stunned GlobalPort Batang Pier Sunday in the PBA Commissioners Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
With Meralco trailing 87-89 with 9.5 ticks remaining, Salvacion freed himself from defender Willie Miller, got a timely kickout pass from Mac Cardona then uncorked the game-clinching trey that went off the glass, sliding in jubilation while getting mobbed by his teammates.
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“Nakita ko wala nang time eh. Thank God pumasok,” beamed Salvacion, who finished with 20 points, all but two coming from beyond the arc.
More than completing their fightback from a 68-80 deficit midway through the fourth, Salvacion’s clutch exploits enabled the Bolts to snap a three-game losing skid and improve their record to 2-3, tying the Batang Pier in the process.
Nobody was happier to see the former St. Benilde gunner’s ability to rise to the occasion than Meralco coach Ryan Gregorio.
“For anyone doubting if there’s a God, there is after a shot like that. It makes me savor every victory. Sunday has not seen the floor for three games but that’s what veterans do, they come in and play,” he said. “Sunday was a bunot–a huling bunot. Buti sinagot ‘yung gamble na ‘yun. He did not only lift our spirits but he made their lives miserable. I whispered to him, Sunday just be ready to play and when your number is called you gotta be ready to show up and he showed up,” added the youthful tactician.
Also providing the needed support in the Bolts’ uprising was Mac Cardona, who tallied seven of his 15 points in the fourth, while import Eric Dawson contributed 19 markers and Cliff Hodge added 16.
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Going down the drain for Batang Pier was Gary David’ 27 points along with Willie Miller’s 22 markers, 16 coming in the opening half. Surprise package Jaypee Belencion also came up big for GlobalPort with 15 points but missed a three-point attempt in the crunch, setting up the tables for Salvacion’s biggest triple of the night.
Holding a shaky 67-66 lead after the first 36 minutes, the Batang Pier pulled away with a 13-2 run, capped by David’s six straight points, for a 12-point lead with 8:14 to go.
Back-to-back baskets by Hodge and Cardona cut it to eight but a Miller trey restored GlobalPort’s lead at 83-72.
Then came the Meralco’s furious finish. Clamping down defensively, the Bolts came within 85-89 with under a minute left off a Salvacion trey–his fifth of the game.
In the ensuing play, Cardona managed to draw a foul on former teammate Sol Mercado and coolly sank two free throws, making it an 87-89 count with 36.3 left.
Coming up with another defensive stop, the Bolts forced Belencion to miss a trey then Hodge corralled the leather, with Gregorio immediately suing for time.
Off a timeout, Chris Ross drove to the right flank and handed off the ball to Cardona, who drew two GlobalPort defenders at the free throw area then dished off to Salvacion, who drilled in the game-winning shot just in the nick of time.
“We need games like this to unite our team. We need situations like this to make us love one another. The script is like a Hollywood script. We’re down big but we found ways to win,” stated Gregorio.
The scores:
MERALCO (90) - Salvacion 20, Dawson 19, Hodge 16, Cardona 15, Hugnatan 7, Manuel 4, Buenafe 4, Guevarra 3, Ross 2, Reyes 0, Artadi 0.
GLOBALPORT (89) - David 27, Miller 22, Belencion 15, Aguilar 12, Mercado 6, Williams 5, Mandani 2, Yee 0, Salvador 0, Crisano 0.
Quarters: 17-24, 43-48, 66-67, 90-89
