MANILA – The Meralco Bolts stunned B-Meg, 104-101, Friday night at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum to hand the Llamados their first loss in the semifinals of the 2012 PBA Governors' Cup. Playing the spoiler's role, the also-rans Bolts (sporting a 5-8 win-loss card) scored their first win in the semifinals and stymied B-Meg's bid for a Finals seat as the Llamados dropped to 8-4, putting themselves in a tie for second to third place with the streaking Barangay Ginebra Kings. The two squads will break the tie when they tangle in a crucial match Sunday. B-Meg's loss benefitted the pace-setting Rain or Shine (9-3) as the Elasto Painters are now assured of at least a playoff for a Finals berth. Playing without pressure, the Bolts raced to an early lead right from the start and held on to win despite a searing 9-3 run launched by the Llamados in the last 55 seconds of the game which cut the Meralco lead to one, 99-98, seven seconds remaining. Chris Ross scored on a three-point play to give Meralco some breathing space, 102-98. But the Llamados would not go away without a fight as James Yap knocked in a three-pointer with 3.9 seconds remaining to cut the deficit to one, 102-101. B-Meg then tried to stop the clock by fouling Asi Taulava with 2.6 remaining. The Meralco center sank one out of two free throws, 103-101. A technical foul was then called on B-Meg for calling a time out they did not have. Mark Cardona sank the crucial technical charity to give Meralco a 104-101 lead. With 1.7 seconds left, the Llamados failed to inbound the ball as time expired. Sol Mercado led the Bolts with 30 points, five assists and three steals while Mario West chipped in 29 markers. Ross added 18 points, five assists and three steals. Marcus Blakely topscored for B-Meg with 30 points while Yap tallied 22. The streaking Barangay Ginebra Kings recorded their fourth straight victory Thursday night, pummelling the pace-setting Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, 95-86. The Painters suffered only their third loss in 12 games extending to the elimination round and remained at the top of the standings. Mark Caguioa once again spearheaded the Kings' sizzling offense, tallying 29 points on 11-of-22 shooting, and adding seven rebounds. Rudy Hatfield chipped in eight points, 12 boards and two assists. The Painters started hot, building up a 10-point lead at the end of the first quarter, 28-18. But the Kings started finding their range and tied the game 45-all at halftime. The Kings then came out of the halftime break with all guns blazing. They sustained their firepower till the end while choking the Painters on defense. Paul Lee led Rain or Shine with 19 points, while import Jamelle Cornley was held to a personal record-low 13. Meanwhile in the nightcap of Wednesday's twinbill, the B-Meg Llamados virtually eliminated their sister team and defending champions Petron Blaze Boosters with a scintillating 104-93 come-from-behind win. With a 6-6 win-loss card, the Boosters virtually bowed out of the conference.It was the second straight heartbreaker for the Boosters after they suffered a similar defeat also against a sister team, the Barangay Ginebra Kings, last Sunday. Marcus Blakely exploded for 35 points, 15 of them in the final quarter, while Jonas Villanueva came off the bench to drill all of his eight markers in the same period. Blakely also had 11 rebounds, five steals, three assists and three blocks in a tireless 42-minute performance.
