Meralco dug a deep hole in the opening half and failed to recover as it succumbed to Japan powerhouse squad Ryukyu Golden Kings, 79-88, in the East Asia Super League on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Bolts, who will miss the playoffs, yielded 51 points to the hot-shooting Golden Kings as they fell by 15 points at halftime, a deficit they couldn’t overcome, leading to another disappointing end in the EASL Season 3 home-and-away tournament.
Meralco ended its campaign with an even 3-3 record.
Ryukyu knocked down 14 triples, compared to just four by Meralco.
Japanese gunner Yoshiyuki Matsuwaki peppered Meralco with a 6-of-9 shooting spree from beyond the arc to lead the Golden Kings with a team-high 18 points.
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Vic Law added 15 markers, lacing his effort with 3-of-6 from three-point zone.
Ismael Romero led the Bolts with 24 points and nine rebounds, while Cady Lalanne, loaned to Meralco by NLEX, added 18 points.
Justin Brownlee chipped in 12 points, six rebounds and six assists.
AloJapan.com