Ginebra received its first
loss of the season and Petron remained unscathed even as TNT and Alaska got
contrasting wins in the past two days of action in the 2013 PBA Philippine Cup.
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| Calvin Abueva is swagger personified as the Aces beat the Express in OT. |
In Tuesday’s opener, Talk
N Text beat GlobalPort, 106-93. How about having three guys on the same team
ending up with double-doubles? That's exactly what happened here to the Tropang
Texters, as Jayson Castro, Harvey Carey, and Noy Baclao all ended up with
double-digit points and rebounds. Castro had 12 points and 10 rebounds, Carey
tallied 11 markers and 14 boards, while Baclao registered 10 points and 11
ribbies.
The Batang Pier shot
terribly in this one. GlobalPort ended up with just a 39% success rate from the
floor, while also making just 58% of their free throws. Rookie sensation
Terrence Romeo was one of the main culprits, shooting just 3/13 from the field
while making just 9 of his 16 free throws. It's no doubt Romeo has the
potential to be a future PBA superstar, but he definitely has to improve his
shooting percentages for the Batang Pier to collect more wins.
Former SMC stalwart Danny
Seigle played his first game for an MVP franchise and did pretty well. Dynamite
Danny ended up with 13 points and 7 rebounds in only 18 minutes for the Tropang
Texters. Together with Kelly Williams, Sean Anthony, and Ranide De Ocampo,
Seigle forms one of the most potent forward combinations in the entire league.
In the second game, Meralco
defeated Ginebra, 100-87, behind a perimeter game that was just clicking on all
cylinders. Jared Dillinger, Mike Cortez, Gary David, and John Wilson all
combined to shoot 10/18 from beyond the arc as Meralco inflicted Ginebra with
its first loss of the season. Those four guys alone scored 77 points out of
Meralco's endgame total.
In contrast, the Gin Kings
shot just 3/18 from long distance, with LA Tenorio going 0/3 and Jay-Jay
Helterbrand going 0/4. They won the battle of the boards, but, ironically
enough, Meralco had more second-chance points. Ginebra also turned the ball
over 7 more times than Meralco, and the Kings paid dearly for it as the Bolts
scored 18 points-off-turnovers.
Rabeh Al-Hussaini was once
considered a future super center in the PBA, but his on-court inconsistency and
off-court antics have, so far, left a lot to be desired. In this game, however,
he gave everyone a glimpse of what he could actually do. The former Ateneo big
man scored 14 points and hauled down 16 rebounds on top of 2 blocks as he more
than held his own against the gigantic Ginebra frontcourt. He also helped limit
2013 top pick Greg Slaughter to just 7 points and 6 boards.
During Wednesday’s
curtain-raiser, Petron Blaze overcame Barako Bull, 96-90, as Marcio Lassiter
was nothing short of awesome. He took over late in the third quarter up till
the end of the game as the Petron Blaze Boosters continued their unbeaten run
to start the 2013-2014 PBA Season. Lassiter made up for the myriad of injured
players for coach Gee Abanilla, scoring 26 points on the strength of three
triples while also grabbing 8 rebounds and handing out 4 assists. The former
Gilas wingman is currently ranked among the league's top players in terms of
overall efficiency (#12), and with key players like Alex Cabagnot, Chris Lutz,
and Ronald Tubid still in sick bay, the Boosters will really have to lean on
Lassiter even more in the Philippine Cup.
Eight guys scored 7 or
more points for Barako Bull. That is a testament to the balance of this team,
but here is the flipside -- nobody scored more than 11 points. What does that
mean? It means that there is just no real, consistent, go-to-guy for the Energy
Cola. Now that their fast start is behind them, it seems their real depth is
showing, and that's not entirely a good thing.
Arwind Santos scored 19
points on top of 5 rebounds, while June Mar Fajardo reeled in 11 points,
TWENTY-TWO rebounds, FIVE blocks, 3 assists, and 1 steal. How can this overwhelming
Petron frontline be stopped? Beats me.
In the nightcap, Alaska won
over Air21, 97-91, in another overtime thriller.
Well, the Calvin Abueva we
all know and love (to hate) finally showed up. The Beast delivered big time for
the Aces, who survived a tough stand fro the Air21 Express in overtime, 97-91.
Abueva dropped 19 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block, filling
up the stat-sheet as the Aces tagged win #2. This is the Abueva who ran
roughshod over most of the competition in the first two conferences last
season. This is the Abueva Alaska needs if it wants to rise up in the
standings.
The Express really don't
have anyone else to blame but themselves for this one. They wasted their
advantage on the boards (59-49) and their superb transition game as the Aces just
shot better from practically everywhere. Air21 shot just 37% from the field and
66% from the free throw line, missing 15 of their 38 shots. The chief culprits?
KG Cañaleta shot just 3/6 and Asi Taulava made just 1/7 from the stripe.
Ping Exciminiano played
just 15 minutes for Alaska, but he was a whirlwind for every single second he
was on the hardwood. The former FEU Tamaraw totaled 16 points, 2 rebounds, and
1 steal in such a short span of time. He also connected on all 4 of his
three-point attempts. Exciminiano was an underrated offensive player in
college, but he was known as a great defender. If he can effectively translate
that into the pros and be consistent, then a fruitful career is just ahead.
Game Recaps:
MERALCO over GINEBRA, 100-87
Playing without its top
big men, the Meralco Bolts relied on speed to bring down Barangay Ginebra San
Miguel, 100-87, on Tuesday at the Mall of Asia Arena to deal the Gin Kings
their first loss in the PLDT MyDSL Philippine Cup.
Meralco missed Cliff Hodge
and Reynel Hugnatan, who were both suffering from ankle sprains, and Kerby
Raymundo, who has yet to debut for the Bolts after joining the team before the
season.
Against the tallest
frontcourt in the league, the Bolts doubled down on their small lineup and
bombed away for 10-of-22 (45.5 percent) three-point shooting to improve its
win-loss record to 2-2.
“We’re fortunate that we
got them on an off night,” said Meralco coach Ryan Gregorio. “We were just
quicker than them.”
Jared Dillinger, who
usually plays the wing position, moved to the power forward slot to match up
with the taller Japeth Aguilar. The ploy worked as Dillinger, the Bolts’ team
captain, stepped up big with 25 points and 10 rebounds.
“Jared is a warrior.
Nobody can just back him down,” said Gregorio, who noted that the versatile
Dillinger can match up at any position. “He can guard 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.”
Mike Cortez also starred
for the Bolts, finishing with 21 points and 11 assists in outshining longtime
rival point guard LA Tenorio, who had 14 and nine.
Rabeh Al-Hussaini added 14
points and 16 rebounds for Meralco, winning his battle with fellow Ateneo
champion center Greg Slaughter. Ginebra’s top overall pick had his worst game
of his young career, finishing with pedestrian numbers of seven points and six
rebounds while struggling against the quicker Bolts.
Gary David and John Wilson
provided additional firepower for the Bolts, scoring 14 points apiece while
shooting a combined 6-of-10 from long distance.
Meralco will have to keep
playing small-ball, with Raymundo projected to remain out until the third week
of December, and Hodge and Hugnatan expected to sit out two to three weeks to
heal their injuries.
Aguilar led Ginebra with
23 points, 13 rebounds, and two blocks. But he had little help from the rest of
the Gin Kings as the Bolts opened its biggest lead of 25 points, 78-53, near
the end of the third quarter.
Ginebra had a
mini-uprising, scoring a 9-0 run to bridge the third and fourth periods that
cut the deficit to just 16 points, 78-62. But the Gin Kings could not come any
closer until the final two minutes of the game as Meralco kept them at bay.
The Gin Kings’ record
dropped to 3-1.
MER 100 - Dillinger 25, Cortez 21, David 14, Al-Hussaini 14, Wilson 14, Sena 7,
Guevarra 3, Salvacion 2, Caram 0, Hugnatan 0
GIN 87 - Aguilar 23, Tenorio 14, Caguioa 14, Reyes 8, Slaughter 7, Baracael 5,
Ellis 5, Ababou 3, Urbiztondo 3, Forrester 3, Monfort 2, Helterbrand 0, Mamaril
0
QS: 27-25, 46-35, 78-58, 100-87
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| Mark Caguioa and the Kings absorbed loss #1. |
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| Jared Dillinger slips for the undergoal stab. |
TALK N TEXT over GLOBALPORT, 106-93
The Talk ‘N Text Tropang
Texters showed a glimpse of its dynamite potential by rolling past the
GlobalPort Batang Pier, 106-93, for its second straight win in the PLDT MyDSL
Philippine Cup on Tuesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Showcasing a new look with
the entry of Danny Seigle and the return of Ranidel De Ocampo, the three-time
defending champions were never seriously threatened all game. Larry Fonacier
was responsible for the explosive start, scoring all of the Tropang Texters’
points in a 9-4 run to begin the game.
“It’s a good feeing having
more offensive weapons tonight,” said Black, who took the time to work Seigle
and De Ocampo into the flow.
“They’ll give us a chance
to be more balanced offensively.”
Talk ‘N Text, which led by
as much as 23 points, was definitely balanced against GlobalPort, with six
players scoring in double-figures for the Tropang Texters. Fonacier led the way
with 18 points while Jimmy Alapag, playing in his 500th PBA game, added 17
points. The 2011 PBA Most Valuable Player also handed out six assists to breach
the 3,000 mark for his career.
Seigle, making his debut
after signing with Talk ‘N Text last week, finished 13 points and seven
rebounds in just 18 minutes.
Talk ‘N Text, which won
for the third time in four games, ruled the paint with Jayson Castro (12
points, 10 rebounds), Harvey Carey (11 points, 14 rebounds) and Noy Baclao (10
points, 11 rebounds) all collecting double-doubles. The Tropang Texters
dominated the boards, 66-45.
Jay Washington scored 21
points to lead GlobalPort, whose win-loss record fell to 1-3. Super rookie
Terrence Romeo, who averaged 30.5 points in his last two outings, was held to
just 16 on 3-of-13 (23 percent) field goal shooting.
Despite the impressive performance,
Black said things are just getting going for the Tropang Texters.
“I don’t think we’ve come
anywhere near reaching our stride. I think we’ll be a much better team down the
road than we are right now,” said Black. “We’re playing well enough to win and
that’s what matters.”
TNT 106 – Fonacier 18, Alapag 17, Seigle 13, Castro 12, Carey 11, Baclao 10,
Williams 8, Poligrates 7, Anthony 5, De Ocampo 3, Celiz 2, Ferriols 0, Reyes 0.
GLO 93 – Washington 21, Romeo 16, Mercado 14, Chua 11, Garcia 7, Nabong 6,
Salva 6, Belencion 4, Hayes 4, Lingganay 2, Menk 2, Ponferrada 0, Salvador 0.
QS: 34-20, 64-51, 91-68, 106-93
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| Former teammates Noy Baclao (L) and Nico Salva (R) collide in mid-air. |
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| Eliud Poligrates has been a revelation for TNT. |
PETRON BLAZE over BARAKO BULL, 96-90
With the rest of Petron’s
backcourt rotation injured, Marcio Lassiter and Paolo Hubalde knew they had to
step up big to preserve their team’s perfect record in the PLDT MyDSL
Philippine Cup.
They did just that on
Wednesday at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum, helping the Boosters to a 96-90
victory over Barako Bull for their fourth straight victory.
Lassiter led all scorers
with 26 points and added eight rebounds and four assists, while Hubalde chipped
in 15 points for the depleted Boosters. Starting wingman Chris Lutz was
unavailable for the game because of a thigh injury, joining regulars Alex
Cabagnot, Chris Ross, and Ronald Tubid in sick bay.
Chico Lanete also played
hurt for Petron, but still managed to score 10 points in 17 minutes for the
Boosters.
“Coming into this game, we
had a lot of injured players,” said Petron coach Gee Abanilla. “But we told
(our healthy players), ‘The standard of expectations cannot be changed.’”
Barako Bull looked set to
pounce early, controlling the first three quarters of the game. But Lassiter
keyed a late charge in the third quarter to close the gap to just two points,
73-71, entering the final period.
Petron finally took the
upper hand in the fourth period and held steady behind Lassiter and Hubalde,
who combined to score 10 of the final 12 points for the Boosters to put Barako
Bull away.
“We kept on hanging on and
hanging on and in the end, we got a chance to win and the breaks came our way,”
said Abanilla.
Arwind Santos added 19
points while June Mar Fajardo continued to lord over the paint with 11 points,
22 rebounds, and five blocks for Petron.
Barako Bull drew balanced
scoring with seven different players scoring at least nine points for the
squad. But that didn’t keep the team from suffering its second straight loss
after opening the conference with two wins.
PET 96 – Lassiter 26, Santos 19, Hubalde 15, Fajardo 11, Lanete 10, Deutchman
7, Duncil 4, Kramer 4, Marata 0.
BAR 90 — Intal 11, Macapagal 10, Miller 10, Buenafe 10, Wilson 9, Isip 9, Pena
9, Jensen 7, Fortuna 5, Villanueva 5, Pennisi 5, Marcelo 0.
QS: 24-31; 46-50; 71-73; 96-90
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| JC Intal scrapes the skies for this slamma jamma. |
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| Former FEU Tamaraws Arwind Santos and Mark Isip square off. |
ALASKA over AIR21, 97-91
The Alaska Aces figured in
another overtime battle and this time came out on the winning end, outlasting
the Air 21 Express, 97-91, on Wednesday at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.
Both teams were coming off
overtime losses in their last assignments, and their hunger for a victory
showed as they went toe-to-toe in the final minutes of the game.
“It was nice to battle and
compete and find ways to win,” said Alaska coach Luigi Trillo. “Give credit to
Air 21. They played quality basketball as well.”
Calvin Abueva broke out of
his scoring slump, scoring 11 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter and
overtime. He added nine rebounds and four assists in his best game so far this
season for Alaska, which snapped a two-game losing streak to win-loss improve
its record to 2-3.
“It’s nice to see Calvin
in his flow,” added Trillo, who revealed that top players Sonny Thoss (bruised
hip) and JVee Casio (back) were battling through injuries. “They’re playing but
they’re not 100 percent.”
With all the injuries
bugging their main men, the Aces got plenty of help from their role players.
Second round pick Ping Exciminiano was a surprise spark for Alaska, scoring 16
points on 4-of-4 shooting from beyond the arc.
“Ping was great. He came
in and he changed the game for us. We needed a lift,” said Trillo, who coached
the former Far Eastern University guard in the PBA D-League.
Backup point guard RJ
Jazul also came up big for Alaska, scoring seven of the Aces’ 17 points in
overtime.
“Just so proud of the way
he comes in and he’s so steady,” said Trillo.
Air 21, which lost its
fifth straight game to open the season, had a couple of chances to win in
regulation. But KG Canaleta and Mac Cardona missed shots that could have broken
the tie, sending the game into overtime.
Abueva broke the game’s
final deadlock after splitting his free throws with less than two minutes
remaining. His three-point play with a minute left gave the Aces a 93-89 lead.
Vic Manuel responded with
a quick basket with under a minute remaining. But after an Abueva miss, Air 21
could not get the tying shot, and Jazul made two free throws to seal the game.
Jazul finished with 13
points and eight rebounds while Gabby Espinas added 11 and 11 for Alaska.
Canaleta led Air 21 with
22 points, but was scoreless in overtime. Manuel added 20 points and 12
rebounds for the Express.
ALA 97 – Abueva 19, Exciminiano 16, Jazul 13, Espinas 11, Thoss 10, Casio 7,
Baguio 7, Dela Cruz 6, Belasco 4, Ramos 4, Hontiveros 0, Eman 0.
AIR 91 – Canaleta 22, Manuel 20, Custodio 13, Cardona 12, Espiritu 10, Taulava
5, Yeo 4, Sharma 4, Jaime 1, Arboleda 0, Ritualo 0, Camson 0.
QS: 9-16, 26-29, 52-49, 80-80, 97-91
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| BonBon Custodio orchestrates the offense for Air21. |
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| Ping Exciminiano was an awesome pick-up for the Aces. |
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| Rizza Diaz looking good. |
Source: Unless otherwise specified, game recaps were compressed and
compiled from InterAKTV. (Writing credit to Rey Joble)
Images: Unless otherwise specified, images are from AKTV. (Photo
credit to Pranz Kaeno Billones, Paolo Papa, and Paul Ryan Tan)
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