TNT goes on shooting spree to down Meralco in Game 1

By Jay R. Gotera Saudi Gazette MANILA — The top-seeded TNT KaTropa rained three-pointers all night long, blasting the Meralco Bolts, 113-95, to take Game 1 of their PBA Governors’ Cup best-of-five semifinal series Tuesday night. The KaTropa converted half of their 30 three-point attempts, mostly in the second half when they broke the game wide open. Game Two is set for Thursday. Asian import Michael Madanly led TNT with 22 points, 20 of them in the second half. Troy Rosario added 16 markers, all scored in the first three quarters. Import Mychal Ammons tallied 15 points, including seven in the final quarter, after going scoreless in the first period. He also grabbed 11 rebounds. Jayson Castro, who erupted for 42 points in TNT’s last game against the Phoenix Fuel Masters, was limited to 14 points on a subpar three out of 15 field goal shooting. The player known as “The Blur” made up for his mediocre shooting by issuing nine assists and orchestrating TNT’s offense. Ranidel de Ocampo was the other double-digit scorer for TNT with 12 points. Import Allen Durham paced Meralco with 26 points, 21 boards, seven assists, three blocks, and one steal. However, he found little help from the Meralco locals. Cliff Hodge added 16 markers and eight boards while Jared Dillinger chipped in with 12 points. The KaTropa broke away from a close game in the third quarter when they scored nearly at will from all angles. TNT led by as many as 24 points, 113-89, late in the fourth, as they cruised to victory. Meanwhile, veteran big man Eric Menk is unsure what will happen to his PBA career after the Alaska Aces dropped him from their roster. Menk said father time has already caught up with him. “As you get older, it gets harder and harder to get to practice and do the things, perform and also just come in everyday, just do the grind,” he said in a video blog. Menk entered the PBA as one of Tanduay’s direct hires in 1999. But he made his mark with Barangay Ginebra where he carried the Kings to four championships during his 12-year stay. He also won the MVP award in 2005. Game Wednesday: Barangay Ginebra Kings vs. San Miguel Beermen (best-of-5 semifinals; Ginebra up 1-0).