PBA: Durham gets triple double as Barako overwhelms GlobalPort

Allen Durham made a great first impression, tallying a triple-double in his first game in the PBA to lead the Barako Bull Energy to a 122-98 blowout against the GlobalPort Batang Pier, Sunday in Laguna.

Durham, who replaced Eric WIse, scored 32 points with 24 rebounds and 10 assists as Barako climbed to eighth place with a 2-5 win-loss card. GlobalPort sank to the cellar with a 1-6 record.

The Energy were unstoppable in the opening period, as Denok Miranda and Keith Jensen hit early triples for a 16-5 lead. Batang Pier, on the other hand, bled for points, as they struggled from range, while Barako clamped down on the paint.  Eight straight points from Miranda made it 24-7 halfway into the period, before Dior Lowhorn put points on the board for GlobalPort from the line.

Barako continued to get good results from great ball movement, as Willie Miller and Jensen bumped the lead up to 21, 33-12. Alex Cabagnot tried to keep Batang Pier in it by exploiting the smaller Jeric Fortuna, but Mick Pennisi and Miller helped establish a 24-point lead, 38-14. Late baskets from Ronjay Buanfe and Lowhorn cut the lead to 18 atfter one, 38-20.

Terrence Romeo was determined to make it a ballgame to start the second, connecting from deep and backing down Fortuna for jumpers, 38-27. Jay Washington was able to string five more points together as a response to a Miller three, and an RR Garcia long bomb trimmed the lead to six at the 6:51 mark, 41-35. Barako would have none of it, though, as Durham, Jensen and Mark Isip conspired for an 11-5 run, 47-38. Barako's import seemed more than eager to take on the defense of Dior Lowhorn in the paint, scoring eight more points, before Romeo ended the half with a daredevil drive, 59-47.

Allen Durham led Barako at the break with 18 points while Romeo top-scored for GlobalPort with 15. The Energy fared better from deep, going 8-of-13 compared versus GlobalPort's 6-of-17 clip. Barako also led in rebounds, 27-12, and in assists, 14-9.

Barako continued with their hot-shooting ways in the second, as Durham, Miranda, and Intal uncorked a 16-4 run, 67-51. GlobalPort struggled with their smaller lineup of Garcia, Cabagnot and Romeo on the wings, while Eric Menk and Lowhorn couldn't get past the towers of Barako in the shaded lane. Midway through the period, JC Intal started to hum, canning a triple before going coast-to-coast for a layup. However, Durham was an anchor in the paint as well, and a Pennisi triple made it a 26-point game, 84-58.

Triples from Mark Macapagal had GlobalPort chipping away at the lead, and Barako turnovers turned into a pair of drives from Romeo to cut the lead to 22, 90-68. Hans Thiele connected on a long jumer, though, before Romeo split from the line and was whistled for his fifth foul to end the period.

An active GlobalPort tried to get to the line early in the fourth, but a three from Fortuna and an and-one play from Thiele made it a 24-point game, 100-76, with a little over eight minutes remaining. Barako went into penalty on the ensuing possession, and GlobalPort looked to capitalize with charities. Durham and the Barako bench found ways to counter, though, as a Thiele putback made it 108-79 with less than seven minutes remaining. A Miranda triple pushed the lead even further to 113-79, virtually sealing the win. - AMD, GMA News