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| Left: Jimmy Alapag leads TNT past Rain or Shine. Right: Reggie Williams came up big in OT as SMB beat Barako Bull. |
First Game:
Even with Marcio Lassiter not playing and key players June Mar Fajardo and Chris Ross suffering injuries at different points in the game, the San Miguel Beermen still found a way to win in overtime, 115-112. That was thanks mainly to the clutch shooting of Reggie Williams, who drained 2 of his 5 triples in a key stretch in the extra inning to tow the Beermen to their third win in four tries. Williams also led the team with 13 rebounds while also handing out 5 assists in another dominant showing.
Of course, SMB needed Williams to be at his very best, since Fajardo was dealing with a twisted ankle and Chris Ross suffered what is feared to be a tear in his right calf. This compounds the Beermen’s injury woes, of course, as Lassiter is already in sick bay with a bum shin. Lassiter is San Miguel’s top shooting guard, while Ross is the team’s best playmaker, averaging nearly 5 assists per outing.
Snag: After going narrowly winning its first game of the conference, the Barako Bull Energy Cola have now lost three straight and have officially hit a snag. It’s either they haven’t been able to score efficiently (just 66 points against San Mig Super Coffee), or they’ve allowed their foes to score a little too much (allowed an average of 108 points in each of their last two matches). I love how Eric Wise has been putting up great numbers and how Jeric Fortuna has come into his own, but where are JC Intal, Willie Miller, and Denok Miranda? Oh well, nobody is really expecting this squad to contend anyway (sigh).
Second Game:
This is why a team like Talk N Text is so dangerous — even when their import, in this case Rodney Carney, puts up just 13 points, the team can still contend for a victory by virtue of its enviable local talent. In particular, Jimmy Alapag, KG Cañaleta, and Larry Fonacier really shone in this game. Those three combined for 8 of TNT’s nine total threes as the Tropang Texters outlasted Rain or Shine, 83-81. Alapag had 3 treys, on his way to 15 points while also grabbing 4 rebounds and dishing out a team-high 5 assists. Cañaleta, meanwhile, hit 4 triples, also scored 15 markers, and had 6 boards. Fonacier was the most surprising, however, coming up with 14 points and hauling down 11 rebounds to lead Talk N Text.
Rodney Carney came in to replace Othyus Jeffers, but, at least for now, it sure looks like there’s a dip in quality. Carney shot a total of 6/17 from the floor to finish with just 13 points in 25 minutes of play. He also hauled down just 2 rebounds in that span of time. The 30-year old veteran of the NBA and several international leagues has a long and decorated resume, but all that means rubbish unless he can produce on the court. Needless to say, the 16th overall pick of the 2006 NBA Draft needs to do more to make a good impression.
Contrast: In contrast to TNT, the Rain or Shine Elasto-Painters didn’t get a whole lot from its locals. I mean, nobody scored in double-digits outside of Jeff Chan, who dropped a dozen markers. The Painters had to be content with Arizona Reid leading them again with 19 points, 19 rebounds, and 6 assists. He would be a Best Import frontrunner if not for the Painters’ woeful 1-3 slate. As a team, ROS shot just 29% from the field and 65% from the line. Yikes.
Game recaps by Rey Joble/InterAKTV:
SAN MIGUEL BEER over BARAKO BULL, 115-112
Reggie Williams scored 33 points, including a pair of big three-pointers in overtime, to lead San Miguel Beer to a 115-112 victory over Barako Bull in Biñan, Laguna.
His heroics came at a perfect time for the hobbled Beermen, who were already missing Marcio Lassiter before the game before seeing June Mar Fajardo and Chris Ross suffer injuries over the course of the match.
“I am very happy to get the win. Every game in the PBA is tough,” said San Miguel Beer coaching consultant Todd Purves. “I’m proud of the guys tonight for getting in there and hanging tough.”
Barako Bull took the early lead in overtime, 105-103, after a basket by import Eric Wise. Williams responded with two straight three-pointers to break the Barako Bull zone and give the Beermen a 109-105 advantage.
San Miguel Beer pushed the lead to seven points, 112-105, on another three-pointer, this time from Sol Mercado.
But Barako Bull came roaring back on two straight three-pointers, first from Mick Pennisi and then from Ronjay Buenafe.
Fajardo, who still finished with 26 points despite being hobbled because of an ankle problem, came through with a three-point play to push the Beermen lead back up to four, 115-111.
Jason Deutchman cut the deficit to a single basket, 115-112, after a split from the line. But attempts from Deutchman and Jeric Fortuna to tie the game down the stretch failed to hit the target, giving San Miguel Beer the win.
San Miguel Beer won its third straight game to improve its record to 3-1, while Barako Bull dropped its third straight to fall to 1-3.
“It feels good to get a couple of wins, Barako’s well-coached and they also grinded it out tonight,” said Purves.
SMB 115 – Williams 33, Fajardo 26, Ross 10, Santos 10, Mercado 9, Lutz 8, Tubid 7, Maierhofer 4, Chua 4, Kramer 2, Lanete 2.
BAR 112 – Wise 33, Pennisi 20, Najorda 12, Buenafe 10, Fortuna 10, Jensen 8, Marcelo 6, Lastimosa 4, Wilson 2, Isip 2, Miller 2, Intal 2, Deutchman 1.
QS: 32-26, 58-54, 80-78, 103-103, 115-112
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| Reggie Williams drained 5 triples as the Beermen outlasted the Energy Cola. |
TALK N TEXT over RAIN OR SHINE, 83-81
With new import Rodney Carney still adjusting to playing on Philippine soil, the locals picked up the slack for Talk ‘N Text for an 83-81 victory over Rain or Shine on Wednesday in Biñan, Laguna.
Jimmy Alapag broke out of his slump to finish with 15 points and five assists for the Tropang Texters, who won for the second time in three games in the PLDT Home Telpad Governors’ Cup.
The Talk ‘N Text team captain sparked a 13-3 run to start the fourth quarter with Carney riding the bench. That allowed the Tropang Texters to take control, 74-66.
Rain or Shine steadily chipped away at the lead, coming to within two points with 30.5 seconds left on a three-pointer by Jeff Chan.
After a defensive stop, the Elasto Painters had a chance to win the game at the buzzer when Paul Lee got open for a three-point attempt at the top of the key. But his shot hit back iron, allowing Talk ‘N Text to come away with the win.
KG Canaleta had 15 points while Larry Fonacier added 14 and 11 rebounds for the Tropang Texters. Carney, who came in to replace Othyus Jeffers, debuted with 13 points.
Rain or Shine’s record dropped to 1-3.
TNT 83 – Alapag 15, Canaleta 15, Fonacier 14, Carney 13, De Ocampo 9, Williams 6, Carey 4, Reyes Ryan 2, Baclao 2, Castro 2, Reyes Rob 1.
ROS 81 – Reid 19, Chan 12, Almazan 9, Lee 8, Rodriguez 8, Tang 7, Tiu 5, Norwood 5, Arana 4, Belga 2, Cruz 2, Ibanes 0, Uyloan 0.
QS: 28-26, 45-41, 61-63, 83-81
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| Jimmy Alapag snapped out of a shooting slump to push the Texters past the Painters. |
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