Reynel Hugnatan heated up when Meralco needed him the most, nailing three crucial treys to help the Bolts down Ginebra, 107-103, Wednesday in the 2016 PBA Governors’ Cup Finals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The 37-year-old forward recaptured his stroke in the clutch after missing his first four attempts, draining all of his long bombs in the final 2:34, giving Meralco a 105-98 edge in the final 42.2 seconds.
Hugnatan finished with 17 points on a 3-of-7 shooting from threes, on top of eight rebounds and three assists.
Justin Brownlee, though, kept the Gin Kings in the running, dropping a long three-pointer with 11.2 ticks left, 105-103, but Allen Durham canned both of his freebies as the Bolts gained a 2-1 lead in the best-of-7 series.
“It was a great game. Both teams wanted to win and that’s really what it’s all about, giving a good show to the fans,” said coach Norman Black.
Durham paced Meralco with 36 markers and 20 boards, while Chris Newsome bounced back from his woeful Game 2 and fired 22 points, seven assists, and three rebounds. Jimmy Alapag also went wild from beyond the arc, going on a 4-of-7 clip to end up with 18 points, six dimes, and five rebounds.
Game 4 is on Friday, still at the Big Dome.
Brownlee captained Ginebra with 42 points, 13 rebounds, and three assists, but failed to get any significant boost from the locals.
LA Tenorio had 14 markers, five boards, and five dimes, while Scottie Thompson got a near triple-double of 10 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists in the loss.
The Scores:
MERALCO 107 – Durham 46, Newsome 22, Alapag 18, Hugnatan 17, Hodge 6, Faundo 4, Uyloan 3, Amer 1, Al-Hussaini 0, Nabong 0.
GINEBRA 103 – Brownlee 42, Tenorio 14, Aguilar 12, Thompson 10, Cruz 6, Mariano 6, Devance 5, Mercado 4, Marcelo 2, Ellis 2, Caguioa 0.
Quarters: 18-20, 48-44, 71-69, 107-103.
