PBA: Meralco survives Magnolia in nail-biting Season 49 opener

Meralco hung tough to eke out a cardiac 99-94 victory over Magnolia in the lone game to kick off the PBA Season 49 on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. 

The Bolts took an early leadership of Group A with a 1-0 card while the Hotshots fell to 0-1. 

Returning Meralco import Allen Durham atoned for a lackluster shooting in the first half, igniting for 12 points in the third frame to help the reigning Philippine Cup champions build a 74-63 lead. 

But the Hotshots mounted a fightback and even came close by a single possession after import Glenn Robinson III buried a three-pointer to cut their deficit to just two, 96-94, with 19.2 second left in the fourth.

Chris Newsome then split his freebies, giving Magnolia a huge window to tie things up or even take a lead but Robinson missed a good-look four-point shot, 97-94. 

Mark Barroca's foul on Durham sealed it for Meralco with the three-time Best Import sinking two charities for a more comfortable 99-94 cushion. 

Durham, despite a 1-of-6 shooting in the first half, still ended up Meralco's top-scorer with 20 points together with 16 rebounds, two assists, and one steal to step up amid a depleted roster as Meralco missed a couple of key players in Raymond Almazan and Allein Maliksi. 

Banchero, who made history as the first player to make a four-point shot, churned out 14 points while Newsome and Jolo Mendoza chipped in 13 markers apiece. 

Robinson III led the way for Magnolia with a double-double of 29 points and 11 rebounds while Ian Sangalang and Paul Lee posted 17 and 14 markers each. 

—JKC, GMA Integrated News

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