LEO AVENIDO (left) of KIA Motors draws a foul from Talk ‘N Text’s Ranidel de Ocampo on the way to the basket. AUGUST DELA CRUZ
DOUBT the competence of Manny Pacquiao and his KIA Carnival no more.
After beating big dogs San Miguel and Purefoods, the Carnival toppled another giant in Talk ‘N Text last night with a rousing 106-103 victory in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
Puerto Rican Peter John Ramos finished an assist shy of a triple double—24 points, 25 rebounds and nine assists—for the Carnival, who climbed out of a 17-point hole to pull off the upset.
But it was the late-game heroics of Leo Avenido and Hyram Bagatsing that proved decisive in the end.
Back-to-back threes by Bagatsing and Avenido shoved KIA back on top after the Tropang Texters forged ahead less than three minutes to go with Ivan Johnson and Jayson Castro on the firing end.
But Castro laid up and Larry Fonacier swished a three that cut a 105-98 KIA lead down to three. Ranidel de Ocampo’s desperation triple was too strong and Fonacier failed to launch a shot after LA Revilla swiped the leather at the buzzer.
“It was the result of all the sacrifices that we made in training,” said playing coach Manny Pacquiao in Filipino.
The Carnival claimed their fourth victory, three of them against the league biggies. They have the same number of defeats. KIA snapped the three-game streak of the Tropang Texters, who fell to solo second at 5-2.
LA Tenorio scored 12 of his 17 points in the deciding period as Barangay Ginebra escaped with an 89-82 win over Blackwater in the second game.
The Gin Kings squandered a 16-point lead before Tenorio bailed them out on the way to their fourth victory in seven games.
Tenorio’s three from the corner at the height of Blackwater’s rally sparked a late Ginebra run that dropped the Elite to 1-6.
Overall, the Carnival fired 18 threes, tying the season-high output of the Tropang Texters in the Philippine Cup.
“We’re now more confident after winning over these tough teams,” said Pacquiao, who bungled his two shots after playing for almost seven minutes in the second quarter.
The scores:
First Game
KIA 106—Ramos 24, Bagatsing 21, Avenido 16, Pascual 10, Cervantes 10, Buensuceso 10, Revilla 5, Dehesa 5, Cawaling 3, Alvarez 2, Thiele 0, Poligrates 0, PAcquiao 0.
TALK ‘N TEXT 103—Castro 24, Johnson 21, Fonacier 13, Rosser 12, Aban 12, De Ocampo 11, Reyes 6, Alas 4, Carey 0, Miller 0, Espiritu 0.
Quarters: 22-33; 50-51; 78-76; 106-103
Second Game
BRGY. GINEBRA 89—Dunigan 27, Tenorio 17, Slaughter 17, Caguioa 15, Yeo 7, Baracael 4, Aguilar 2, Pena 0, Monfort 0, Ababou 0, Ellis 0.
BLACKWATER 82—Douthit 16, Erram 11, Gamalinda 11, Celiz 9, Heruela 8, Salvacion 8, Ballesteros 6, Canada 5, Faundo 3, Timberlake 3, Reyes 1, Laure 1, Acuna 0.
Quarters: 20-25, 49-45, 71-60, 89-82