MANILA, Philippines — Trying to prove a point, Barako Bull made a statement of some sorts after ripping Air21, 87-74, in the 2014 PLDT MyDSL PBA Philippine Cup Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Energy Cola, who got flak after trading away their high first round picks for veteran players, drew immediate contributions from their new acquisitions with Mark Isip scoring a team-high 16 points.
“I’m happy because my players really wanted to prove something. They wanted to play and prove themselves because there were a little [controversy] on the trades,” said Barako Bull head coach Bong Ramos.
“That was really our plan, to get tried and tested players,” Ramos added.
The Energy Cola broke the game wide open in the second quarter as they outscored the Express, 26-11, to take a 48-28 lead by halftime.
A lead Barako Bull never relinquished as it kept is foot planted on the pedal in the second half.
“Our new players really pushed hard after the draft,” said Ramos, whose team led by as much as 31.
Ramos insisted that it’s only the first game and if anything, it won’t be wise to overreact after just a game with a long season ahead.
Joseph Yeo topscored with 22 points while KG Canaleta added 18 points for Air21, which missed the services of the injured Mac Cardona.