A pair of
surprising things happened this past Wednesday – Rain or Shine had an all too
easy time disposing of the Gin Kings, while two highly-touted rookies seemed to
sputter in their first taste of the PBA Playoffs.
I picked the
Gin Kings to take this series against Rain or Shine, and they still can, but if
the Kings continue to play as lackadaisically as they did in Game 1, then we
might as well hand the semifinal slot to the Painters on a silver platter.
In the
second game, it was interesting how the two best rookies of the current season,
Alaska’s Calvin Abueva and Meralco’s Cliff Hodge, took the backseat as more
seasoned players took charge. Veteran wingmen Cyrus Baguio and Mark Caguioa led
the way for their respective teams as the Aces went up, 1-0, in the series.
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| Cliff Hodge slams one home even as his Meralco Bolts lose Game 1 against Alaska. |
The
following day, a couple of other surprises happened – Petron actually took San
Mig Coffee to overtime, while the Express disturbed the nerves of not a few TNT
fans.
June Mar (or
is it Junmar?) Fajardo finally broke out and showed everyone a glimpse of just
how good he can be. The top overall pick of the 2012 PBA Draft registered his
best game yet with 22 markers on top of 15 caroms and 3 rejections. It’s a
pity, of course, that he won’t be able to strut his stuff until the
Commissioner’s Cup starts in about a month or so.
The
heavily-favored Texters, meanwhile, had an unexpectedly tough time getting rid
of the 8-th seeded Express. Ranidel De Ocampo, one of the franchise’s old
hands, was responsible for pushing TNT into the next round after hitting a key
trey in the dying minutes to break a tense deadlock.
As we move a
step closer to the semis, the big questions are:
1) Can
the Aces and the Painters close out their rivals, or will we see a Game Three
for any or both series?
2) Will
Abueva and Hodge live up to their billing and give the fans a rookie rivalry
worth remembering?
Game Recaps:
RAIN OR SHINE
ELASTO-PAINTERS over BGY. GINEBRA GIN KINGS, 82-65
With his
team taking a 10-point lead at halftime, Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao
implored the Elasto Painters to keep up their defensive intensity in the second
half.
His team did
him one better, as Rain or Shine opened the third quarter with a backbreaking
18-2 run en rute to a 82-65 victory over Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in Game
One of their best-of-three Philippine Cup quarterfinal series Wednesday at the
SMART-Araneta Coliseum.
The Elasto
Painters turned a 39-29 lead at the break into a 57-31 advantage early in the
third quarter, completely taking the fight out of the Gin Kings.
“Siguro
naging prepared lang kami ngayon,” said Rain or Shine guard Paul Lee, who
scored seven of his 11 points in that third quarter stretch. “Sinabi sa amin ni
Coach Yeng, no let-up.”
Rain or
Shine led by as much as 28 points, before extended garbage time in the fourth
quarter allowed Ginebra to cut the deficit.
The Elasto
Painters did it despite an off night from top gun Jeff Chan, who scored just a
single point and did not make a shot from the field.
Chan missed
all his eight attempts from the field, but that hardly mattered as Rain or
Shine’s defense went to work double time.
The Elasto
Painters buckled down to work in the first 24 minutes of play, holding the Gin
Kings to just 26.5 percent shooting from the field (9-of-34).
The Gin
Kings were held to only a single field goal in the last nine minutes of the
second quarter. Their last field goal of the first half was scored by LA
Tenorio at the 2:35 mark.
To start the
second half, Lee, in only his second game of the season after suffering from a
shoulder injury, combined well with rookie Chris Tiu, another player who spent
a significant amount of time on the injured list for Rain or Shine, to pilot
the Elasto Painters to the surprisingly easy win.
“Napakasarap
kasabay ni Chris sa loob, parang coach maglaro,” said Lee. “Utak talaga ang
pinapagana niya.”
Game Two of
the series is set on Friday at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum at 7:30 p.m. Rain or
Shine could repeat last year’s Philippine Cup result, when it swept Ginebra in
two games in the quarterfinals.
ROS 82 – Cruz 14, Lee 11, Belga 11,
Matias 9, Norwood 8, Rodriguez 8, Quinahan 8, Tiu 6, Tang 6, Chan 1, Uyloan 0,
Jaime 0, Arana 0.
GIN 65 – Caguioa 16, Jensen 13, Ellis
7, Tenorio 6, Hatfield 6, Maliksi 5, Espiritu 5, Helterbrand 3, Taha 2,
Maierhofer 2, Labagala 0, Wilson 0, Mamaril 0, Wilson 0.
QS: 18-15, 39-29, 61-40, 82-65
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| Gabe Norwood rises to the occasion as the Painters rout the Gin Kings. |
ALASKA ACES over MERALCO
BOLTS, 90-84
New faces
have joined Alaska to change the fortunes of the Aces, but it was an old
reliable who carried the cudgels come playoff time.
Cyrus Baguio
scored 26 points to lead Alaska to a 90-84 triumph over the Meralco Bolts to
start their best-of-three Philippine Cup quarterfinals series Wednesday at the
SMART-Araneta Coliseum.
“There are
six, seven new guys who have come in to this team, but Cyrus has been steady
for us,” said Alaska coach Luigi Trillo. “He made good plays out there
tonight.”
Baguio hit
four three-pointers, including one at the four-minute mark of the third quarter
that kicked off a 7-0 run that gave the Aces their biggest lead of the game,
69-47.
Alaska was
still up by 16 points, 74-58, heading into the fourth quarter. The Aces kept
the Bolts at bay for most of the period, before Sol Mercado and Jay-R Reyes teamed
up to cut the lead to just six points late in the game.
But Meralco
could not come any closer, allowing the Aces to come away with the victory.
“Let’s give
credit to Meralco. Their energy was there. There are guys who are thoroughbreds
out there, including Chris Ross and Mercado,” said Trillo.
Veteran Tony
dela Cruz also gave Alaska a boost, posting 13 points and seven rebounds to
make up for a subpar game from star rookie Calvin Abueva, who scored just six
points before fouling out of the game in the fourth quarter.
Mercado,
playing with an ankle injury, led the Bolts with 22 points.
Alaska can
close out the series with a win in Game Two set on Friday, also at the Big
Dome.
ALA 90 – Baguio 26, Espinas 19, Dela
Cruz 13, Thoss 10, Baracael 9, Abueva 6, Casio 5, Jazul 1, Hontiveros 1, Eman
0, Belasco 0.
MER 84 – Mercado 22,Cardona 14, Reyes
13, Ross 9, Hodge 8, Buenafe 7, Hugnatan 5, Nabong 2, Bulawan 2, Sharma 2,
Borboran 0, Salvacion 0.
QS: 18-20, 44-33, 74-58, 90-84
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| Calvin Abueva still finds reason to smile despite his below-par performance against Meralco. |
TALK N TEXT TROPANG TEXTERS over AIR 21
EXPRESS, 105-100
Ranidel De
Ocampo hit a cold-blooded three-pointer with less than a minute left for the
go-ahead basket in Talk ‘N Text’s thrilling 105-100 triumph over Air 21 in the
Philippine Cup quarterfinals Thursday at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.
De Ocampo’s dagger, which broke the game’s
last deadlock at 98-all, helped the versatile forward make up for the previous
play that saw him getting blocked by Air 21′s
Noy Baclao on a drive to the basket.
“Ranidel was
just our second or third option in the play. He’s there to set a screen then
somebody would curl, in that case, it should be Larry Fonacier. But that left
Ranidel wide open and he was able to take the three-pointer,” said Talk ‘N Text
coach Norman Black.
The victory
gave the two-time defending champion Tropang Texters the first semifinal seat
in the tournament, awaiting the winner of the quarterfinals duel between Alaska
and Meralco.
“I like my
chances against any one of them. I’m a humble person, but I’m also confident,”
said Black. “I admit, either team will be a tough matchup for us. Both squads
play contrasting styles.”
Top seed
Talk ‘N Text used a balanced effort — eight players scored at least eight
points — to turn back eight-seed Air 21, which drew big games from KG Canaleta
(25 points) and Mike Cortez (21 points, 18 assists, and nine rebounds).
TNT 105 – Reyes 16, Fonacier 16, Castro
15, De Ocampo 13, Alapag 13, Aban 10, Dillinger 8, Peek 8, Williams 4, Carey 2,
Raymundo 0.
A21 100 – Canaleta 25, Cortez 21, Isip
18, Ritualo 14, Baclao 10, Custodio 9, Arboleda 3, Sena 0, Wilson 0, Reyes 0.
QS: 25-23, 51-47, 85-79, 105-100
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| Ranidel De Ocampo hit the biggest shot of the game to deflate a gritty Air 21 side. |
SAN MIG COFFEE MIXERS over
PETRON BLAZE BOOSTERS, 92-87
James Yap
and Marc Pingris had excellent games for San Mig Coffee, but it was Mark
Barroca who hit the biggest baskets in the Mixers’ pulsating 92-87 overtime
victory in the PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinals Thursday at the SMART-Araneta
Coliseum.
With the
win, the Mixers booked a seat in the tournament’s final four, avoiding the
complications of a do-or-die match against the dangerous Boosters.
“Talking
about being put through a wringer gives you the idea of facing Petron,” said
San Mig Coffee coach Tim Cone. “Our idea was to run and gun with these guys. We
don’t want a second game with this team. It was a crucial performance for us to
knock them out. If we didn’t win tonight, I don’t know how we’re going to win
our second game against them.”
San Mig
Coffee had reason to be wary. Then known as B-MEG, the team also had
twice-to-beat advantage last season against the Powerade Tigers, but were
victims of an upset against a team that caught fire at the right time.
This year,
the Mixers made sure they advanced.
Barroca
scored the final five points of regulation for San Mig Coffee, including a
three-pointer that put the Mixers up 79-76 with just 26.3 seconds left. But
Arwind Santos hit a tying three-pointer less than 16 seconds later to force the
extra period.
San Mig
Coffee was up by a slim 87-85 margin late in overtime when Barroca hit a
floater and two free throws to put the game away for the Mixers. The
second-year guard, who finished with 15 points, also took a key charge during
that stretch.
Yap had 23
points and seven rebounds while Pingris added 20 and 11 to lead San Mig Coffee,
which trailed by as much as 10 points in the third quarter.
The loss
spoiled the performance of top overall pick June Mar Fajardo, who had the best
game of his career with 22 points, 15 rebounds, and three blocks.
SMC 92 – Yap 23, Pingris 20, Barroca
15, Devance 12, Simon 12, De Ocampo 4, Ramos 3, Reavis 3, Intal 0, Gonzales 0.
PET 87 – Fajardo 22, Cabagnot 21,
Lassiter 16, Santos 13, Washington 8, Lutz 4, Faundo 2, Yeo 1, Lanete 0,
Miranda 0, Pena 0.
QS: 17-17, 39-39, 61-63, 79-79, 92-87
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| June Mar Fajardo's career-best game was not enough to tow the Boosters past the Mixers. |
Source: Unless otherwise specified, game
recaps were compressed and compiled from InterAKTV. (Writing credit to Rey
Joble.)
Images: All images are from InterAKTV.
(Photo credit to Paolo Papa)
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