Express nip Batang Pier, Jarencio

GAMES FRIDAY (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

5:45 p.m.—San Miguel Beer vs Meralco

8 p.m.—Barako Bull vs Barangay Ginebra

MANILA, Philippines — Getting a dressing down at halftime, Herve Lamizana responded in the final two quarters Wednesday night and led Air21 to an 83-78 victory over Globalport at the start of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup eliminations at Mall of Asia Arena.

Lamizana scored all but two of his 22 points in the final two frames and spearheaded a mighty finish by the Express who denied new Globalport coach Pido Jarencio a winning debut.

“I was brutally frank with him at halftime, telling him that imports (in the PBA) should take over,” Air21 coach Franz Pumaren told reporters. “He was terrible in the first half when he should be dominating.”

Lamizana scored 16 points in the third quarter as the Express opened up several double-digit spreads before taking a 66-56 lead into the fourth.

And when the Batang Pier took the lead at 78-77 after a monster left-handed flush and a free throw from import Evan Brock going into the final 1:32, Lamizana gave the Express the lead back again, this time to stay, after a tight reverse for 79-78 with 1:22 to go.

Though Lamizana finished with 10 rebounds and five assists, Pumaren said they will still be evaluating overall performance.

The scores:

First Game

AIR21 83—Lamizana 22, Yeo 21, Taulava 14, Cardona 11, Borboran 6, Villanueva 4, Burtscher 2, Sharma 2, Jaime 0, Poligrates 0, Matias 0, Camson 0, Manuel 0.

GLOBALPORT 78—Brock 28, Chua 10, Washington 9, Macapagal 8, Custodio 8, Cabagnot 4, Garcia 4, Romeo 3, Yee 2, Salva 2, Nabong 0, Ponferada 0, Salvador 0.

Quarters: 22-14; 40-45; 66-56; 83-78