PBA Roundup: April 13-15, 2012

Denzel Bowles slams it home as the Llamados beat the Kings
last Friday.

*all images are by Paul Ryan Tan/InterAKTV.com

B-MEG LLAMADOS over BGY. GINEBRA KINGS, 83-77

Peter June Simon took over on offense late, while Marc Pingris made the defensive play of the game to lead B-MEG to a hard-earned victory over Ginebra in Game Two of their Commissioner’s Cup best-of-five semis series Friday.

Simon scored eight of his 15 points in the game’s final two minutes, while Pingris had a monster block on a fastbreak layup attempt by Dylan Ababou to preserve the win for the Llamados, who moved a win away from sweeping the series and securing a championship berth.

Simon shattered the game’s final deadlock with a breakaway lay up after a miscue by Ginebra’s Jayjay Helterbrand and Rudy Hatfield, giving B-MEG a 77-75 lead with 2:01 left in the match. After the teams exchanged empty possessions, Simon picked up a foul off KG Canaleta and made two free throws to pad the Llamados lead to four points. Two plays later, Pingris turned back Ababou’s shot off an ill-advised pass by Jackson Vroman to save the win for B-MEG.

Denzel Bowles and James Yap led the scoring for B-MEG with 21 and 16 points, respectively. Canaleta (19 points) and Mike Cortez (17) carried the fight for Ginebra, which drew a sub-par effort from import Jackson Vroman, who finished with just 10 points.

BML 83 – Bowles 21, Yap 16, Simon 15, Urbiztondo 12, Pingris 12, Intal 3, Devance 2, Reavis 2, Barroca 0, Burtscher 0, Villanueva 0, De Ocampo 0.

BGK 77 – Canaleta 19, Cortez 17, Vroman 10, Helterbrand 8, Hatfield 8, Ababou 6, Raymundo 5, Wilson 3, Wilson, W. 1, Labagala 0, Mamaril 0.

QS: 23-19; 37-41; 63-59; 83-77.

James Yap was on-target in Game 2 of their semis
duel versus Ginebra.

BARAKO BULL ENERGY over TALK N TEXT TROPANG TEXTERS, 85-81

Mick Pennisi and Barako Bull’s “Manong Brigade” moved one step closer to the finals, hacking out a big win over the Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters in Game Three of their Commissioner’s Cup semifinals series Sunday night.

Pennisi’s hit a crucial three-pointer late in the game, before splitting free throws with 26 seconds left to preserve the win for Barako Bull. His clutch shot came after Talk ‘N Text cut the Barako Bull lead to two points, 79-77,courtesy of Jayson Castro’s two free throws.

Although the Tropang Texters came to within one point, 82-81, after two free throws by Kelly Williams, Miller and Pennisi combined for three of four free throws by Barako Bull in the final 43 seconds.

Barako’s defense held the Tropang Texters to their season-low output in the first half at 31 points.

The Tropang Texters rallied back and made a game out of it in the fourth period, but Talk ‘N Text’s comeback was hampered by the ejection of Jimmy Alapag, who was ejected after his second technical foul with 4:37 left in the game. The reigning Most Valuable Player had been getting chippy with Barako Bull defender Ronald Tubid. Alapag’s first technical foul came after he elbowed Tubid, who reacted by talking trash his opponent

BBE 85 – Freeman 27, Miller 17, Pennisi 15, Seigle 14, Tubid 8, Salvador 2, Pena 2, Aquino 0, Najorda 0, Allado 0, Arboleda 0.

TNT 81 – Harvey 19, Carey 15, Alapag 14, Castro 11, Williams 7, Fonacier 7, Dillinger 3, Reyes 3, De Ocampo 2, Gamalinda 0.

QS: 19-17; 42-31; 67-57; 85-81

Mick Pennisi's big shot in the clutch send the
Texters on the brink of elimination.

Gabe Freeman and the Energy continue to fly high
in the 2012 Commissioner's Cup.

BGY. GINEBRA KINGS over B-MEG LLAMADOS, 88-79

KG Canaleta triggered Ginebra’s big fourth-quarter breakaway, while Mike Cortez delivered the knockout blow to B-MEG.

Ginebra fought with a sense of urgency in Sunday’s Game Three of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup best-of-five semis series, ripping the B-Meg Llamados, 88-79.

A sellout crowd of 10,674 came to witness the Gin Kings’ revival of hope. Down 2-0, the team refused to roll over, denying the Llamados a sweep and a finals berth.

Canaleta drilled in all of four of his three-pointers in the fourth quarter and finished the game with 23 points. Cortez, on the other hand, was brilliant all game, dishing out the first triple-double performance of his career. He finished with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.

Canaleta’s three-pointers came in a two-minute stretch in the fourth period, including three straight, that gave the Gin Kings a 78-65 lead with 7:03 left in the match. And when the Llamados cut the deficit to just four points, Cortez hit five straight to give Ginebra an 83-74 advantage with only 2:12 left in the game.

The Llamados were affected by the ejection of Marc Pingris, who was thrown out after a flagrant foul he issued against Canaleta in the early part of the second period. He was assessed a technical foul in the earlier play, leading to his ejection. Apart from losing their most energetic player, the Llamados also drew a subpar effort from import Denzel Bowles, who only scored 11 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.

BGK 88 – Canaleta 23, Cortez 17, Ababou 13, Helterbrand 12, Hatfield 9, Vroman 8, Labagala 3, Raymundo 3, Wilson 0, Mamaril 0.

BML 79 – Intal 18, Simon 15, Yap 14, Bowles 11, Urbiztondo 8, Devance 7, Reavis 6, Barroca 0, Burtscher 0, Villanueva 0, Pingris 0, De Ocampo 0.

QS: 17-12; 37-37; 61-57; 88-79