Alaska and GlobalPort secured quarterfinal berths,
Rain or Shine joined Meralco in the Top 4, and San Mig Coffee locked up the second
seed after the past two gamedays in the 2013 PBA Governors’ Cup.
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| Jay Washington (L) and Chris Ellis meet in mid-air. |
In Wednesday’s first game, Alaska beat Barako Bull,
91-89. Coach Luigi Trillo can thank his lucky stars that his guys were finding
their marks from long range. Led by the combined 6 triples of Cyrus Baguio and
JV Casio, the Alaska Aces shot 37% from downtown, which really helped open
things up for Wendell McKines and Gabby Espinas in the paint. McKines, Calvin
Abueva, Dondon Hontiveros, and RJ Jazul all canned one trey each as well.
On the other end, Rajko Toroman will probably need to
shop for a really good big guy in the offseason. His team is having a tough
time fighting it out in the rebounding department, and that was highlighted in
this game. The Energy were outworked on the boards, 49-37, which helped the
Aces toss in 20 second-chance points. Barako Bull, after a good start to the
conference, has now tumbled all the way to sixth place. They should still make the quarterfinals, but if Mike
Singletary is the only consistent one in the bunch, then I don't think we'll
them going past the first round.
In the nightcap, Rain or Shine bounced back by
defeating Talk N Text, 104-102. Arizona
Reid continued to do it all for ROS. The import sporting the dreadlocks pumped
in 26 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists, and 1 block in a great show of talent.
His sublime production helped balance out the fact that, again, starting sniper
Jeff Chan struggled from the field, making just 1/5 shots.
JR Quinahan and Jervy Cruz, at least based on the way
they're built, can easily be mistaken for Pinoy baby versions of Shaquille
O'Neal (or Glenn Davis actually). In this game, they also played well enough to
produce numbers comparable to Big Diesel's. Quinahan and Cruz combined for 25
points, 6 rebounds, and 9/15 FG shooting. They helped cancel out the scoring
offered by TNT's Sean Anthony and Ranidel De Ocampo and helped stem the cold
shooting night of Beau Belga (1/5 from the field).
The Tropang Texters, meanwhile, continued their
descent in the standings. TNT fell to 2 wins and 6 losses after this game,
squarely putting themselves in a tie for ninth spot with the Air21 Express. Despite
having new import Courtney Fells pour in 28 markers, 9 boards, 5 dimes, and 4
steals, coach Norman Black's boys still couldn't find a way to pull of the win.
They did erase a double-digit second half deficit, but they still fell short in
the end.
In last night’s opener, San Mig Coffee routed Meralco,
87-68, and PJ Simon was a big reason why. I have always admired Simon's game,
and his performance further convinced me that he is a top-tier guard playing,
unfortunately, second fiddle to another top-tier guard (James Yap). Simon hit
two treys and a total of 9/16 from the field to finish with 20 points for the
Mixers. SMC, with this win, climbed to solo second in the standings, behind
sister team Petron Blaze.
SMC import Marqus Blakely looks like he's really
dead-set on piloting the Mixers all the way to the Govs' Cup Finals, especially
since they lost in last year's 7-game series to the Painters. Blakely wants to
atone for that, of course, and he continued to pour the pain here with 24
points, 13 rebounds, and, wait for it, SIX BLOCKED SHOTS.
As for Meralco, the duo of Mike Cortez and Chris Ross
just sputtered in this encounter. They combined for 2/11 FG shooting and 6 of
Meralco's 16 turnovers. I love how they ended up with a total of 8 assists, but
coach Ryan Gregorio should get much more from these two quality playmakers than
that, right?
In Friday’s main game, GlobalPort survived in
overtime to win over Ginebra, 113-106.
Man, that Jay Washington seemed like he was possessed
in this game. J-Wash unloaded 4 triples on his way to a team-high 30 points on
top of 14 rebounds, 5 blocks, and 2 assists. Why is this guy NOT in the Gilas
pool again?
For the first time in their short history, the Batang
Pier are entering the conference's knockout rounds! Team owner Mikee Romero
should feel ecstatic, and, well, veterans Sol Mercado, Gary David, Willie
Miller, and the aforementioned Washington should all feel vindicated. This team
was meant to be a patchwork squad with modest-to-low expectations, but nobody
can take them for granted now.
I am pretty sure interim coach Ato Agustin feels a
little lucky the game was this close considering how two of his main guys shot
the ball. Mark Caguioa cannot play 36 minutes and produce just 11 points. And,
well, Willy Wilson cannot play 26 minutes and lay a big fat egg. As a pair,
that wing duo combined for 5/20 FG shooting, not to mention 6 turnovers.
Game Recaps:
ALASKA over
BARAKO BULL, 91-89
The Alaska Aces stayed in the hunt for one of the
coveted top four spots in the Governors’ Cup eliminations after a pulsating
91-89 victory on Wednesday over Barako Bull at Cuneta Astrodome.
“Now we set ourselves up for a chance to enter the
top four,” said Alaska coach Luigi Trillo.
A late surge was key to the Aces’ victory, their
fourth in eight games, giving them a chance to finish in the upper bracket of
the playoffs, which comes with a twice-to-beat bonus in the quarterfinals.
Alaska was still trailing, 85-77, when two
three-pointers by JVee Casio touched off the late surge that carried the Aces
to victory.
“I don’t know where his three-pointers came from,”
said Trillo.
Another three-pointer, this time from Cyrus Baguio,
and a layup from Tony Dela Cruz completed an 11-2 run to give the Aces the
lead, 88-87, with 1:15 seconds remaining.
The Aces had a chance to pad the lead further, but
Alaska import Wendell McKines turned the ball over, prompting Trillo to enter
the court to complain about what he thought was a foul on his player.
The coach was called for a technical foul with 30
seconds left.
“I was just upset,” said Trillo. “Sometimes it gets
the better of us. I really saw a foul on Wendell.”
Trillo was bailed out after Ronjay Buenafe missed the
technical free throw for Barako Bull, but import Mike Singletary scored in the
ensuing play to give his team an 89-88 edge with 23.5 seconds left.
McKines missed a three-point shot in the next
possession, but Dela Cruz, in the game in place of a fouled-out Calvin Abueva,
got the offensive rebound and was fouled with 13.5 seconds.
“He came in, he got that rebound, he closed out,”
said Trillo about Dela Cruz. “He was big in the endgame.”
The veteran forward split his free throws, but
McKines got another offensive board and was fouled as well.
The Alaska reinforcement coolly sank both foul shots
for a 91-89 edge with 12.9 seconds left.
Barako Bull had one final chance to win the game, but
Ronjay Buenafe missed an open three-point look at the buzzer.
The win arrested Alaska’s two-game losing streak as
it closes out its elimination round campaign on Sunday against cellar-dweller
Air 21.
“We feel good. Guys are healthy. I think we’re
starting to peak,” said Trillo.
McKines finished with 21 points and 15 rebounds,
helping Alaska dominate the battle of the boards, 49-37.
Singletary had 38 points for Barako Bull, which
continued its tailspin with its fourth loss in the last five games. The team
finished the elimination round with a 4-5 win-loss record.
ALA 91 – McKines 21 , Baguio 15, Casio 14, Espinas 11,
Thoss 8, Abueva 7, Hontiveros 7, Jazul 5, Dela Cruz 3.
BAR 89 – Singletary 38, Buenafe 12, Seigle 11, Weinstein 7,
Villanueva 7, Pennisi 7, Intal 3, Macapagal 2, Cruz 2, Marcelo 0, Jensen 0.
QS: 20-25,
39-39, 62-64, 91-89
RAIN OR
SHINE over TALK N TEXT, 104-102
The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters bounced back from a
heartbreaking defeat, but not before quelling a fourth quarter uprising from
Talk ‘N Text for a 104-102 win on Wednesday night at Cuneta Astrodome.
The defending Governors’ Cup champions were coming off
a controversial loss to Barangay Ginebra San Miguel last Saturday.
“With our Ginebra game as the background, we felt
this is the best way to ease the pain of that loss,” said Rain or Shine coach
Yeng Guiao.
“We can’t dwell on it. Winning this game makes it
easier to accept.”
The Elasto Painters controlled the action for the
first three quarters, taking an 86-71 lead into the fourth period.
But Talk ‘N Text was not about to go away easily. The
Tropang Texters scored the first 17 points of the final quarter, taking a 92-86
advantage.
During that span, Guiao did not call timeout to break
the Talk ‘N Text momentum, instead letting his players play through it. The
Elasto Painters responded with a 14-4 run to regain the lead, 100-96, with less
than a minute remaining.
Debuting import Courtney Fells, who finished with 28
points, hit a three-pointer with 11.7 seconds left to bring Talk ‘N Text within
a hairline at 100-99.
Gabe Norwood hit two free throws in the ensuing play
to give Rain or Shine more breathing space, and Fells’ attempt with three
seconds left failed to hit the target.
Paul Lee scored two more free throws after being
fouled, and Talk ‘N Text scored a three-pointer at the buzzer for the final
score.
The victory improved Rain or Shine’s win-loss record
to 5-4, giving the Elasto Painters a good chance to finish in the top four of
the standings depending on the result of the four remaining games. Teams in the
upper bracket of the playoffs will enjoy a twice-to-beat advantage in the
quarterfinals.
“All we can do is wait. We’ll see what happens in the
next few playing days,” said Guiao.
Reid finished with 26 points, 12 rebounds, and seven
assists, despite playing just 32 minutes after hurting his hip in the second
half.
Talk ‘N Text suffered its fourth straight and moved
on the verge of missing the playoffs with a 2-6 record, tying Air 21 in last
place.
ROS 104 – Reid 26, Quinahan 13, Cruz 12, Arana 10, Lee 8,
Norwood 8, Tiu 7, Belga 7, Tang 4, Rodriguez 4, Chan 3, Ibanes 2, Matias 0.
TNT 102 – Fells 28, Anthony 14, De Ocampo 14, Fonacier 9,
Alapag 9, Castro 8, Peek 8, Ferriols 6, Aquino 3, Aban 2, Carey 1.
QS: 32-23,
61-49, 86-75, 104-102
SAN MIG
COFFEE over MERALCO, 88-87
The San Mig Coffee Mixers survived a wild endgame to
escape with an 88-87 victory over the Meralco Bolts on Friday at the
SMART-Araneta Coliseum.
Peter June Simon scored nine of his conference-high
20 points in the fourth quarter for the Mixers, who finished with the second
seed in the Governors’ Cup playoffs after the victory.
“We’re just happy we got through them,” said Mixers
coach Tim Cone after the game.
San Mig Coffee had to turn back a late surge from
Meralco before coming away with the win.
The Mixers were still up by five points, 86-81, on a
basket by Mark Barroca with 1:08 remaining.
Meralco called a play for import Mario West, who led
all scorers with 31 points, in the ensuing possession. West missed a jump shot
over the outstretched arms of James Yap.
After a lengthy rebound battle, the Bolts came up
with the ball and found Sunday Salvacion, who buried an off-balanced
three-pointer to cut the San Mig Coffee lead to just two points, 86-84.
Rafi Reavis couldn’t handle a Simon pass on the other
end, giving Meralco a chance to tie the game. Meralco once again went to Salvacion,
but his corner three-pointer rimmed out.
The loose ball resulted in a jump ball between Reavis
and Cliff Hodge with 14.7 seconds left. Reavis spiked the ball all the way to
the other end for an easy Barroca layup.
Mike Cortez raced up the court and nailed a
three-pointer to cut the lead to a single point with 10.7 seconds left. Instead
of calling timeout, Reavis made a baseball pass to Marc Pingris, which West
intercepted. But the Meralco reinforcement missed the potential game-winning
three-pointer, allowing the Mixers to escape.
That completed a San Mig Coffee rally in the fourth
quarter, after what Cone described as a “total collective non-effort” from his
players in the second and third periods.
“We sort of took the game for granted,” said Cone,
whose team took a 34-24 lead in the first period. That turned around in the
next two quarters, when Meralco outscored San Mig Coffee, 47-30.
That prompted Cone to keep yelling at his players
hoping to get a spark.
“I was trying to get under their skin,” said Cone.
“Nothing happened until the last six, eight minutes.”
With the loss, Meralco’s record fell to 5-4. The
Bolts will have to wait for the results of the last three games of the
elimination round to determine whether they will be one of the top four seeds
who will get a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals.
SMC 88 – Blakely 24, Simon 20, Mallari 8, Yap 8, Pingris 7,
Barroca 6, Maliksi 5, Devance 5, Reavis 5, De Ocampo 0.
MER 87 – West 31, Hodge 19, Wilson 13, Reyes 6, Hugnatan 6,
Salvacion 6, Cortez 4, Cardona 2, Guevarra 0, Ross 0, Allado 0.
QS: 34-24,
50-47, 64-70, 88-87
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| Mike Cortez gets bottled up by Alex Mallari. |
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| The Mixers locked up solo second. |
GLOBALPORT
over GINEBRA, 113-106 (OT)
Jay Washington had 30 points, 14 rebounds, and five
blocks to carry the GlobalPort Batang Pier to a 113-106 overtime victory over
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel on Friday at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.
The win gave GlobalPort a ticket to the Governors’
Cup playoffs, making its first quarterfinals appearance in its maiden season.
“It’s always tough playing Ginebra,” said GlobalPort
coach Junel Baculi, who had to coach while wearing shades during the game after
an undergoing a minor eye procedure earlier in the day.
He had to watch Jayjay Helterbrand force overtime
with a three-pointer with 4.2 seconds remaining.
The Batang Pier had a chance to win the game in
regulation, but Washington’s fadeaway jumper at the buzzer failed to hit the
mark.
But the star forward, acquired from Petron prior to
the start of the conference, atoned for that in the extra period, when he
scored six of GlobalPort’s 12 points.
“J-Wash came out of his shell,” said Baculi, who also
commended the effort of point guard Sol Mercado, who had 27 points and eight
assists.
“Sol, after a spat naming dalawa, he learned how to
take charge, be responsible for the team.”
The loss spoiled the effort of Ginebra import Dior
Lowhorn, who finished with a conference-high 41 points. The loss dropped the
Gin Kings’ record to 3-5, turning their match on Sunday against Talk ‘N Text
into a must-win game to avoid complications for a playoff seat.
GLO 113 – Washington 30, Mercado 27, Cummings 19, David 15,
Miller 9, Taha 4, Nabong 4, Salvador 3, Lingganay 2.
GIN 106 – Lowhorn 41, Helterbrand 18, Tenorio 11, Caguioa 11,
Ellis 8, Baracael 6, Maierhofer 6, Labagala 3, Mamaril 2, Urbiztondo 0, Wilson
0, Raymundo 0.
QS: 24-31,
52-52, 76-77, 101-101, 113-106
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| Jondan Salvador battles with Billy Mamaril. |
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| Junel Baculi relishes how his team barges into the next round. |
Source:
Unless otherwise specified, game recaps were compressed and compiled from InterAKTV.
(Writing credit to Rey Joble)
Images: Images
are from InterAKTV. (Photo credit to Paolo Papa)
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