NLEX import Al Thortorn celebrates after making a shot against San Miguel Beer during their game last night. RICHARD A. REYES
COACH Boyet Fernandez knew they can keep up even with the toughest team in the league.
The NLEX Road Warriors proved him right after they rose from the depths to turn back the San Miguel Beermen, 100-93, Tuesday in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
“I reminded them of the Talk ‘N Text game. We we’re down again but made it back,” said Fernandez.
It was the same scenario they had gone through against the Tropang Texters in a previous outing, only this time they got the job done.
Al Thornton fired 19 of his 30 points during the NLEX surge while Mark Borboran and Jonas Villanueva buried two crucial threes that wiped out the Beermen’s 21-point advantage in the second half.
Solomon Alabi scored on an offensive rebound following his own miss with 2.5 seconds left as Barako Bull nipped Alaska, 93-91, in overtime.
Snapping a two-game skid, the Energy jumped to joint second place (4-2) with the Rain Or Shine Elasto Painters.
“The guys showed a sense of urgency after losing back-to-back games,” said Barako Bull coach Koy Banal.
After the single-round eliminations, only eight teams will advance to the playoffs, something the Energy would be glad to be a part of.
“Our goal after the elims is to be in the middle of the pack,” added Banal.
The Aces dropped to 2-4.
Rattled by the charging Road Warriors, the Beermen suddenly lost their touch and bungled eight of their last nine shots from the three-point zone as the Philippine Cup champions dropped another match, their fifth in six games.
Chris Lutz, Marcio Lassiter, Arizona Reid and Arwind Santos launched those successive threes that failed to hit their marks after the Road Warriors finally took control, 86-85, on Borboran’s reverse layup.
Reid misfired all of his shots in the final period after scoring 27 points earlier.
The scores:
First Game
NLEX 100—Thornton 30, Taulava 20, J. Villanueva 15, Cardona 9, Borboran 8, Canaleta 6, Lingganay 6, E. Villanueva 2, Ramos 2, Apinan 2, Raymundo 0, H. Arboleda 0.
SAN MIGUEL BEER 93—Reid 27, Santos 20, Kramer 15, Lutz 10, Fajardo 10, Cabagnot 6, Ross 2, Lassiter 2, Tubid 1.
Quarters: 14-26; 33-46; 58-75; 100-93
Second Game
BARAKO BULL 93—Alabi 23, Marcelo 18, Mercado 15, Lastimosa 12, Intal 12, Pascual 6, Garcia 4, Lanete 3, Chua 0, Hubalde 0.
ALASKA 91—James 39, Manuel 13, Exciminiano 8, Jazul 8, Baguio 6, Menk 6, Hontiveros 3, Dela Rosa 2, Espinas 2, Dela Cruz 2, Casio 2, Banchero 0, Abueva 0.
Quarters: 22-21, 45-43, 66-65, 85-85, 93-91