Barako, KIA outlast rivals

BARAKO Bull’s William Wilson tries to keep the ball against the NLEX double team of KG Canaleta (left) and Pamboy Raymundo. MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

JC Intal scored 14 of his 24 points in the fourth period and import Liam McMorrow dominated in the paint as Barako Bull posted a 101-96 decision of NLEX in the PBA Governors’ Cup eliminations at Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.

The Energy bounced back from blowing a 22-point first half lead with Intal and McMorrow  combining for all but seven of Barako Bull’s 31 fourth quarter points.

“Everybody stayed in the game and everybody stayed positive,” Barako Bull coach Koy Banal said, referring to the great poise and composure his Energy displayed after losing a 47-25 second-quarter lead.

KIA Motors, with new recruit Alex Nuyles stepping up big at the crunch, scored the tournament’s first upset, an 83-78 decision of powerhouse San Miguel Beer in the second game.

Nuyles finished with a career-high 18 points, scored six of his total inside the final three minutes and sealed the Carnival’s repeat win over the Beermen counting a similar upset in the Commissioner’s Cup.

Barako Bull trailed, 68-66, with under three minutes left in the third quarter before recovering its bearings back in the fourth to salvage the win and join Alaska and Globalport for the early lead.

The Road Warriors rallied behind Asian reinforcement Michael Madanly, whose only assist to Aldrech Ramos for a three-point play gave NLEX that two-point lead.

But NLEX suffered a bad break before the end of the third period when Madanly suffered a whiplash after banging his head into Dylan Ababou’s butt in a loose ball scramble. He did not return in the fourth quarter.

McMorrow scored the last four points for the Energy, including a freak conversion with 77 seconds remaining which made it 99-92.

And after the Road Warriors came back with four straight points, McMorrow made the most out of a turnover by Asi Taulava when he put back a miss by Chico Lanete to beat the shot clock for what turned out to be the final count.

The scores:

First Game

BARAKO 101—McMorrow 33, Intal 24, Ababou 16, Lastimosa 6, Garcia 5, Lanete 5, Maierhofer 5, Yeo 3, Hubalde 3, Wilson 1, Pascual 0, Chua 0.

NLEX 96—Madanly 26, Alexander 16, Cardona 11, Villanueva J. 10, Canaleta 9, Villanueva E. 6, Lingganay 5, Taulava 5, Borboran 3, Ramos 3, Raymundo 2, Arboleda H. 0.

Quarters: 29-19, 56-42, 70-70, 101-96

Second Game

KIA 83—N’Diyae 21, Nuyles 18, Chang 14, Dehesa 8, Yee 7, Revilla 6, Thiele 4, Cawaling 3, Deutchman 2, Ighalo 0, Webb 0, Alvarez 0, Buensuceso 0, Pascual 0, Bagatsing 0.

SAN MIGUEL 78—Cabagnot 18, Reid 17, Lassiter 12, Fajardo 11, Santos 5, Reyes 4, Espinas 4, Lutz 3, Tubid 3, Ross 1, Semerad 0.

Quarters: 17-10, 33-30, 58-51, 83-78