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| Alex Cabagnot drained the game-winning triple to cap off another sterling clutch performance. |
*All images by Paul Ryan Tan/InterAKTV.com
PETRON BLAZE BOOSTERS over TALK N TEXT TROPANG TEXTERS, 95-93
The lightning that is Alex Cabagnot struck once again for Petron Blaze Monday. As what he has done for at least three times before in the conference, Cabagnot drained a clutch triple in the dying seconds to lift the Boosters to a come-from-behind victory over Talk 'N Text in their PBA Philippine Cup semifinal duel.
Its second straight win in the best-of-seven series gave Petron a 2-1 edge, which it could add on to after Game 4 Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Coach Ato Agustin’s Boosters managed to win despite falling behind by as many as 20 points.
Cabagnot draining his step-in, straightaway triple did a lot of good as it made it a 94-93 game, which Chris Lutz added on to with a charity in the final 2.6 seconds. The Tropang Texters had chances to turn the game around, but Larry Fonacier and Ranidel de Ocampo alternately missed their own three-point tries. Talk 'N Text coach Chot Reyes accepted the blame after what he said was a crucial coaching mistake for putting Ryan Reyes on Cabagnot following Petron's last timeout in the last 25 seconds. Receiving the ball as expected, Cabagnot issued a pass to Arwind Santos, who went up the air for a shot, but instead passed on to Danny Ildefonso, who kicked out to Cabagnot.
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| Arwind Santos churned out a great double-double performance with 25 markers and 16 boards. |
Some credit must be given Petron as Santos wound up with 25 points, Denok Miranda 20 and Cabagnot 12 after again going scoreless in the first half as in Game 1.
The Texters made their first 19 free throw attempts of the game, but had Ali Peek missing twice inside the last 46 seconds that could have given them a four-point lead instead of just two.
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| Ryan Reyes and Rob Reyes had a heated encounter after the former set a hard pick against the latter. |
Miranda, who scored all of his seven points in the series in a 91-89 Game 2 win, wrought the most havoc in the fourth period when he poured in 12 of his points.
De Ocampo started and had a team-high 20 points while Japeth Aguilar came off the bench to score 16. The other starting forward, Harvey Carey, only had 6 points, but grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds.
PBB 95 - Santos 25, Miranda 20, Ildefonso 13, Cabagnot 12, Lutz 11, Yeo 9, Reyes 5, Doruelo 0, Agustin 0, Baclao 0, Tugade 0.
TNT 93 - De Ocampo 20, Aguilar 16, Alapag 15, Dillinger 12, Williams 9, Carey 6, Castro 5, Fonacier 5, Peek 5, Reyes 0.
QS: 18-25, 38-48, 67-75, 95-93
Source: Game recap was compressed and compiled from PBA.ph
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