The past two days served up some interesting action in
the 2013 PBA Governors’ Cup. The highlights, however, were the return of prodigal
big man Asi Taulava and the controversial endgame call that helped decide the
ROS-Ginebra match last night.
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| Elijah Millsap slams one home against the Aces. |
In Friday’s first game, Air21 overcame Talk N Text,
106-102. Coach Chot Reyes was probably watching this game, and he probably
noticed that his former Gilas player (for the 2013 Super Kung Sheung Cup), KG
Cañaleta, was lording it all over the basketball court. The former UE Red Warrior
swamped the Tropang Texters for 30 big ones, including 6 booming triples. He
also shot 6/7 from the line and grabbed 5 rebounds to underscore his dominating
scoring effort.
In contrast to Cañaleta’s sublime performance, Rabeh
Al-Hussaini underperformed yet again. Rabeh's ceiling is to be one of the best
big men in the Philippine pro circuit, but, at least judging by the way he's
playing, he'll probably just be an occasional solid performer in the mold of,
say, Andy Seigle. In this game, the former King Blue Eagle missed all his field
goals and scored a grand total of 1 point. The Texters actually didn't really
get much from the slot in this game as Al-Hussaini's back-up, Ali Peek, also
struggled with just 4 markers.
On a brighter note this game welcomed back Asi
"The Rock" Taulava, who finally returned to the PBA after a
single-season stint with San Miguel in the ASEAN Basketball League, where he
helped the Beermen bring the crown back to Manila. Taulava was solid in this
game, scoring just 7 points, but grabbing 9 boards, handing out 6 assists, and
blocking 2 shots. The former Gilas center played 32 minutes of rock 'em sock
'em hoops, and his presence should give Air21 the push to make a late
quarterfinal run.
In Friday’s second match, Petron Blaze won over
Alaska, 103-100, with Marcio Lassiter and Chico Lanete continuing to find the
bottom of the net for the Boosters. Together, they combined for 35 points,
including 6/11 3-point shooting, on top of 6 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 assists.
With both guys waxing hot from long range, it's no wonder Petron got this win
and, consequently, remained firmly atop the standings with a superb 7-win,
1-loss mark.
Alaska actually had more rebounds and assists than
Petron Blaze, but the Aces did themselves in by shooting just 67% from the line
and turning the ball over 25 times. The chief culprits? Wendell McKines
shooting 6/10 and Samigue Eman making only 1/4 from the line. McKines, Sonny
Thoss, Calvin Abueva, JV Casio, and Cyrus Baguio also coughed the ball up at
least thrice each. Still wondering why coach Luigi Trillo is shaking his head?
With this win, Petron cements itself as the runaway
best team in the conference. The Boosters have three guys averaging at least 8
points and 7 rebounds per game -- Elijah Millsap (28.8ppg and 11.6rpg), Arwind
Santos (13.0ppg, and 7.6rpg), and June Mar Fajardo (8.9ppg and 8.5rpg). The
have three guys norming 3 or more assists per game -- Millsap, Alex Cabagnot,
and Chris Lutz. They also have four guys averaging at least 1 steal per game and
Fajardo blocking 2.0 shots per outing. It's just a really deep team that has
all these weapons clicking at the right time. Recipe for a championship? We'll
see.
In the Saturday opener, San Mig Coffee beat Barako
Bull, 81-77, with Allein Maliksi continuing to impress for the Mixers. In this
game, the former Growling Tiger registered 18 points on 6/10 FG shooting while
also pulling down 5 rebounds, handing out 5 assists, and netting 3 steals. The
25-year old Maliksi, drafted in 2011, has hopped from Barako Bull to Ginebra
and now to San Mig Coffee, but it sure seems like he has a found a good niche
with the Mixers. If he can be consistent with his all-around production, then
the versatile swingman can be a superstar sooner rather than later.
The Mixers started the conference losing three of
their first four outings, but they have strung up four wins in a row since then
and have locked up solo second before their last two elims games. It sure looks
like coach Tim Cone's crew is ready to not just mix it up, but dominate in the
quarters and beyond.
As for the Energy, former Blue Eagles Emman Monfort
and JC Intal continued to fly low. They both had good starts to the tournament,
but they now find themselves spiraling out of control. They played a combined
56 minutes in this game, producing ZERO points on a combined 0/12 FG shooting.
Well, at least they produced a combined 6 rebounds and 9 assists, but, still,
maybe coach/consultant Rajko Toroman would be better served just starting Danny
Seigle and Celino Cruz instead.
In last night’s closer, Ginebra defeated Rain or
Shine, 101-100, thanks to a controversial foul call in the last 2 seconds, but let's
stick to the stats first, shall we? I mean, we cannot -- MUST NOT -- overlook
the fact that we had three players score 30 or more points in this game. Dior
Lowhorn of Ginebra scattered 31 points on 11/20 FG shooting, teammate Mark
Caguioa scored 32 markers on 14/25 FG shooting, and Rain or Shine's Arizona
Reid dropped 40 points on 17/29 FG shooting. It was a really nice game to watch
-- by all indications. Well, except maybe if you're an ROS fan and you stuck
around for the last few seconds. More on that in a bit.
Now for the controversy in the dying seconds. When
Arizona Reid hit a go-ahead basket over Dior Lowhorn, it sure seemed like the
Painters would clinch their fifth win of the conference. Instead, Beau Belga
purportedly fouled Mac Baracael's desperation trey attempt with less than a
second to go. The Painters, naturally, protested to the high heavens, but the
call was upheld and, more amazingly, Baracael sank all three freebies (his only
free throws of the game mind you) to secure the wild win for the Kings. Was it
a foul or not? Based on all possible angles, I believe the ref made a (drumroll
please!) BAD CALL. I didn't really see any contact made from Belga's end, and
he also didn't plant any part of his anatomy in the landing area of Baracael.
If anything, though, credit should be given to Baracael for making it look like
there was contact and selling it. The ref? He bought it. It happens. Bad break
for ROS. See for yourself here.
Another thing that compounded ROS’s dismal fate was
that it looks like the great scoring shown by Jeff Chan and Gabe Norwood in the
Painters' previous game was just a fluke. The Gilas duo paired up for just 9
points on 4/12 FG shooting, including going 0/6 from rainbow country. They
didn't contribute much else, too, so, yeah. Fluke. :(
Game Recaps:
AIR21 over
TALK N TEXT, 106-102
Led by new recruit Asi Taulava, the Air 21 Express
looked rejuvenated en route to a 106-102 victory over the Talk ‘N Text Tropang
Texters on Friday at the PhilSports Arena.
The Express ended their four-game Governors’ Cup
losing skid in the first game of Taulava, who returned to the PBA after a
sojourn in the ASEAN Basketball League.
“I think we were really inspired by the shakeup in
our lineup,” said Air 21 coach Franz Pumaren.
Taulava joined the team this week to beef up the
Express, who had one of the smallest frontlines in the league.
With the former PBA Most Valuable Player taking care
of business down low, snipers KG Canaleta and Zach Graham were free to do their
thing on the perimeter.
Canaleta exploded for 30 points on six
three-pointers, while Zach Grahan added 27 points and 11 rebounds for Air 21,
which remained alive for a berth in the quarterfinals.
Taulava finished with seven points, nine rebounds,
and six assists.
To acquire the hulking center, the Express had to
give up starting point guard Mike Cortez to the Meralco Bolts. With his
departure and the injury to veteran Wynne Arboleda, Pumaren had to lean on
Bonbon Custodio and Simon Atkins to handle the ball for the Express.
The guard duo stepped up, with Custodio finishing
with 12 points and Atkins adding eight assists.
“I think out guards played really well,” said
Pumaren.
Import Tony Mitchell had 27 points and nine rebounds
for the Tropang Texters, who lost their third straight match. Ranidel De Ocampo
added 19 points and nine rebounds for Talk ‘N Text, which fell into a tie with
Air 21 for ninth and 10th places with similar 2-5 win-loss records.
A21 106 – Canaleta 30, Graham 27, Custodio 12, Manuel 10,
Menor 7, Taulava 7, Atkins 4, Sharma 4, Yeo 3, Salamat 2, Burtscher 0.
TNT 102 – Mitchell 27, De Ocampo 19, Anthony 16, CAstro 12,
Alapag 10, Fonacier 8, Carey 5, Peek 4, Al-Hussaini 1, Aban 0.
QS: 22-19,
49-52, 75-75, 106-102
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| KG Canaleta waxed hot versus TNT. |
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| Asi Taulava (L) stops Ranide De Ocampo. |
PETRON
BLAZE over ALASKA, 103-100
The Petron Blaze Boosters survived a late charge from
the Alaska Aces to complete a thrilling 103-100 victory on Friday at the
PhilSports Arena.
Veteran Aces guard Dondon Hontiveros’ three-point
attempt at the buzzer rattled out, giving the Boosters the victory that
extended their winning streak to seven games.
“This game, we got lucky in the end,” admitted Petron
coach Gee Abanilla after the game.
The Boosters squandered a 10-point fourth quarter
lead before pulling out the win. The result was in stark contrast to Petron’s
previous outing, 122-88 drubbing of Talk ‘N Text last Wednesday.
“I think we need games like this,” said Abanilla. “We
were tested, the players were tested.”
Petron came into the game already assured of a spot
in the upper bracket of the playoffs, giving them twice-to-beat advantage in
the quarterfinals. That could explain their slow start, as Alaska raced to a
27-17 lead to begin the game.
“We lacked intensity in the start,” said Abanilla.
But the Boosters charged back behind Marcio Lassiter,
who finished with 19 points. Petron went on a 13-0 run to end the first quarter
and took control the rest of the game.
Petron was still up, 86-76, midway through the final
period when the Aces rallied with a 15-5 run to tie the match. It was a
nip-and-tuck affair the rest of the way before key baskets from Elijah Millsap
gave Petron the distance it needed in the end game.
Millsap finished with 32 points, 12 rebounds, six
assists, and five steals for Petron, which won despite shooting below 40
percent from the field. Arwind Santos had 10 points and nine rebounds while
June Mar Fajardo added seven and 10 for the Boosters, whose league-leading
record improved to 7-1.
Wendell McKines led Alaska with 33 points and 19
rebounds while Sonny Thoss added 17 and five. Calvin Abueva finished with 16
points, 10 rebounds, and five assists for the Aces, who suffered their second
straight defeat to see their record drop to 3-4 in a tie with GlobalPort for
sixth and seventh places.
PET 103 Millsap 35,
Lassiter 19, Lanete 16, Santos 10, Fajardo 7, Lutz 7, Tubid 5, Kramer 2,
Cabagnot 2.
ALA 100 – McKines 33, Thoss 17, Abueva 16, Casio 13, Baguio
10, Dela Cruz 6, Hontiveros 4, Eman 1, Jazul 0, Espinas 0.
QS: 30-27,
51-45, 79-74, 103-100
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| Chico Lanete caught fire against Alaska. |
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| June Mar Fajardo denies Don Don Hontiveros. |
SAN MIG
COFFEE over BARAKO BULL, 81-77
The San Mig Coffee Mixers grinded (sic) out an 81-77
victory over Barako Bull in a crucial Governors’ Cup encounter on Saturday at
the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.
“I told the guys that this is gonna be a really hard
game,” said San Mig Coffee coach Tim Cone.
Mark Barroca hit the game-tying jumper and the
go-ahead free throws with 18.3 seconds left to put the Mixers up, 79-77, after
falling behind by nine points earlier in the fourth period.
Barako Bull had a final chance to tie the game, but
import Mike Singletary dribbled the ball off his foot with 9.5 seconds
remaining. That turnover, Singletary’s 10th in the game, spoiled a terrific
game that saw him finish with 38 points and 15 rebounds.
“We can be a great defensive team when we need to
be,” said Cone, whose Mixers rallied back from a 75-66 deficit to book their
fourth straight win.
Allein Maliksi sealed the game with two free throws
with 5.5 seconds left, as the Mixers finished the game on a 15-2 run. He
finished with 18 points, five rebounds, and five assists against his former
team.
“You can see the value of Allein with us now,” said
Cone. “If James struggles a little bit, we have a guy who could be a threat.”
Yap had a miserable shooting performance, making just
one of 12 attempts from the floor. His struggles affected the rest of the
Mixers, who won despite making just 35 percent of their shots.
Marqus Blakely had 22 points and 14 rebounds, while
Barrcoa had 12 points and four steals for the Mixers.
With the win, San Mig Coffee’s record improved to
5-3, good for solo second place. Barako Bull, which lost for the third time in
four games, saw their record fall to 4-4.
SMC 81 – Blakely 22, Maliksi 18, Barroca 12, Devance 8,
Simon 8, Mallari 5, Pingris 5, Yap 3, Reavis 0.
BAR 77 – Singletary 38, Macapagal 16, Pennisi 6, Marcelo 5,
Seigle 5, Cruz 3, Jensen 2, Villanueva 2, Monfort 0, Buenafe 0, Intal 0.
QS: 17-20,
39-31, 61-58, 81-77.
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| Mike Singletary drowns in frustration. |
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| Allein Maliksi shakes off Keith Jensen. |
GINEBRA over
RAIN OR SHINE, 101-100
Mac Baracael hit three free throws with three-tenths
of a second left to lift Barangay Ginebra San Miguel to a 101-100 victory over
the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters on Saturday at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.
But the Elasto Painters are putting the game under
protest over the circumstances surrounding the foul called on Beau Belga on
Baracael’s attempt.
The Rain or Shine bench howled in protest over the
foul call, while television replays showed that there should have been more
time on the clock after the call was made.
The Elasto Painters earlier went up by two points,
100-98, after a tough jumper by import Arizona Reid over Ginebra counterpart
Dior Lowhorn. Ginebra set up a play for Baracael, who pulled up from beyond the
arc just as a referee called a foul on Belga.
Baracael coolly sank the three free throws to provide
the marginal points.
“We’re just lucky the referee called a foul,” said
Ginebra coach Ato Agustin.
“Hindi kami nawalan ng pag-asa dun sa last two
seconds.”
Rain or Shine owners Raymond Yu and Terry Que rushed
to the PBA press room after the match to speak with the league’s media bureau
chief Willie Marcial after the game.
“Ba’t naman ganun, pare?” asked the
visibly-frustrated Yu. “Pare, hindi ka dapat tumatawag ng ganun.”
Mark Caguioa exploded for 32 points along with eight
rebounds, while import Dior Lowhorn added 31 and nine for Ginebra, whose record
improved to 3-4.
Reid had 40 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists to
lead Rain or Shine, which saw its record drop to 4-4.
GIN 101 – Caguioa 32, Lowhorn 31, Ellis 11, Baracael 8,
Tenorio 8, Maierhofer 6, Helterbrand 3, Mamaril 2, Urbiztondo 0, Wilson 0.
ROS 100 – Reid 40, Quinahan 12, Lee 11, Belga 10, Arana 8,
Chan 5, Uyloan 4, Norwood 4, Cruz 2, Matias 2, Tang 2, Rodriguez 0, Ibanes 0.
QS: 21-26,
47-49, 70-79, 101-100
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| Arizona Reid's great game was wasted in the loss to Ginebra. |
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| Foul or no foul? Decide for yourself. |
Source:
Unless otherwise specified, game recaps were compressed and compiled from InterAKTV.
(Writing credit to Rey Joble)
Images: Unless otherwise specified, all images
are from InterAKTV. (Photo credit to Paolo Papa & Paul Ryan Tan)
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