INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines--Purefoods proved steadier in the stretch as the Giants hacked out a come-from-behind 79-78 victory over the Alaska Aces last night to gain a commanding 3-0 lead in their KFC PBA Philippine Cup best-of-seven championship series at the Araneta Coliseum.

Trailing for most of the game, the Giants willed their way back by relying on their defense and solid performances from fringe players like KG Canaleta and Peter June Simon to move within a victory of equalling Crispa's record of five All-Filipino titles.

Scoreless in the first three quarters, Canaleta came alive in the fourth period with eight points, including the triple that tied the game at 77 with 1:28 remaining.

Kerby Raymundo scored what turned out to be the game-winning basket with 57 seconds left, eluding Joe De Vance with an up-and-under move to put Purefoods up, 79-77.

Purefoods held the Giants scoreless for close to three minutes in the final quarter until Willie Miller made one of two free throws to cut the lead, 78-79, with 31 seconds left.

Canaleta nearly turned the villain for Purefoods when he shot a triple that missed with still seven seconds remaining in the shotclock and the Giants protecting their one-point lead.

Alaska grabbed the rebound, but Joe De Vance under duress, missed a lay-up. Referees called for a jumpball after the rebound play and Alaska won the tip, earning another chance to win.

But Miller, with the Purefoods defense clamping down on him, could only bank his floater as time expired.

"Our defense held up again, that has been the story of our conference," said Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio.

Canaleta ignited the Purefoods rally in the fourth quarter with a thunderous one-handed dunk over De Vance and, after a Tony Dela Cruz basket, hit a fallaway triple to chop the deficit, 66-69, with nine minutes remaining.

Dela Cruz?s jumper pushed the lead back to seven, 73-66, with 7:14 left, before Raymundo, Roger Yap and James Yap combined for the next seven points to tie the game at 73.


The Scores:

PUREFOODS 79 ? J. Yap 14, Simon 12, Canaleta 8, Pingris 8, Reavis 8, Raymundo 8, Maierhofer 7, R. Yap 5, Allado 5, Salvador 3, Artadi 1.

ALASKA 78 ? Miller 20, De Vance 16, Thoss 12, Dela Cruz 10, Tenorio 8, Hugnatan 6, Ferriols 4, Borboran 2, Fonacier 0.

Quarters: 15-21, 36-44, 61-67, 79-78