Bolts buck Bolick’s 48-pt sizzler

MANILA, Philippines — Meralco, the PBA’s top defensive team, gave up 48 big points to NLEX’ Robert Bolick, the league’s premier scorer.

But still, the gritty and playoffs-experienced Bolts found ways to put together a 97-93 comeback victory and a 1-0 lead in the PBA Philippine Cup best-of-three quarterfinal series yesterday.

After allowing Bolick to torch the hoops of the Smart Araneta Coliseum for the first 47 minutes of play, the Meralco cagers shut him down when it mattered most and leaned on Allein Maliksi’s leadership for the finishing touches.

Maliksi knocked down four clutch free throws in the endgame in his 22-point performance as the Bolts came back from as many as 12 points down and laid to waste Bolick’s new career high.

“He’s so good at picking angles, picking shots and it really takes five guys playing defense on him,” said coach Luigi Trillo, who alternated Anjo Caram, Chris Banchero, Allein Maliksi and even Cliff Hodge on defensive duties against Bolick.

“That’s Robert Bolick for you, first half pa lang umarangkada na siya agad (with 28 points). As a team, we’re not pleased with how we played defense. We have a lot of things to fix in Game 2. We’re not going to the semis if we play defense like that.”

Things started to go Meralco’s way in the third, where an 8-0 closing salvo put it to within two at 73-75. Maliksi, Caram, Bong Quinto and Banchero then went to work in the fourth to complete the job.

Raymond Almazan (15), Caram (14), Banchero (12), Newsome (12) and Quinto (11) also helped offensively for the Bolts, who can close it out on Sunday.

“Credit to everyone. Sabi ko nga before the game, if you’re counting on me, I’m counting on you. Tulong tulong lang and we all wanted to win,” said Maliksi.

Mike Miranda was the only other NLEX player in double figures outside Bolick, who reset his previous personal best of 46.