Carnival stay alive, noses out Meralco

KIA’S Virgil Buensuceso gets fouled by Meralco’s Rey Guevarra as he drives to the basket in their game yesterday.AUGUST DELA CRUZ

Hamady N’Diyae scored 24 points, grabbed 19 rebounds and blocked six shots to lead KIA Motors to an 88-85 win over Meralco that kept the Carnival alive in the playoff race in the PBA Governors’ Cup at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

N’Diyae worked hard on both ends all game and got all the support he needed from a battery of under-rated guards in the stretch as the Carnival came back from 71-78 halfway through the fourth to pound out the win and close out their elimination schedule with a 5-6 record.

After playing catch up for most of the night, Meralco blew control in the stretch to also finish with a 5-6 record and wind up as No. 7 in the playoffs and possibly deal sister team Talk ‘N Text the death knell.

The idle Tropang Texters, who also closed out with a 5-6 record, will get the boot in the event of a Barangay Ginebra victory over ousted NLEX at press time.

For failing to beat the Bolts by at least 17 points to earn superior quotient, the only remaining chance for the Carnival to make it to their first-ever playoff appearance is for the Road Warriors to beat Ginebra, which will also bow out of the race with a loss.

“Kung loobin ng Panginoon na makapasok kami sa second round, mas maganda (If God wants us to qualify, it’s beautiful),” boxing icon Manny Pacquiao, who is listed as the KIA coach, said.

A win by the Gin Kings, however, would force the Carnival into an early vacation together with the Texters as Ginebra has a better quotient than Talk ‘N Text and the Carnival for No. 8 and the right to face No. 1 Alaska.

The scores:
KIA 88—N’Diaye 24, Revilla 16, Yee 13, Dehesa 10, Buensuceso 8, Avenido 6, Webb 5, Cawaling 2, Pascual 2, Bagatsing 2, Deutchman 0, Chang 0, Alvarez 0.
MERALCO 85—Emmett 35, David 14, Hugnatan 9, Atkins 6, Hodge 5, Dillinger 4, Nabong 3, Guevarra 3, Anthony 2, Ildefonso 2, Cortez 2, Ando 0.
Quarters: 22-19, 44-41, 61-63, 88-85