MANILA, Philippines – Playing just hard enough, B-Meg rolled to a tournament-best eighth straight victory after dumping Shopinas.com, 86-74, to grab a twice-to-beat privilege in the quarterfinal round of the PBA Philippine Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Llamados opened up a 17-point first-quarter lead and then played in cruise control in the final three periods to finish with a 10-4 card and a No. 2 spot at worst.
B-Meg can grab the No. 1 spot—and, technically, the lightest assignment in the quarterfinals—if idle Talk ‘N Text, which has a 10-3 card, loses to crowd-favorite Barangay Ginebra on Sunday.
A win by the Tropang Texters would give them the best record, but they will lose in the quotient to the Llamados if they end up tied at 10-4 because B-Meg beat Talk ‘N Text by a bigger margin in their second round clash.
The final rankings for the playoffs will be determined after the Alaska-Rain or Shine and Ginebra-Talk ‘N Text contests on Sunday. The only sure thing at this stage is that Powerade is No. 8.
Newest whipping boy
With the loss, the Clickers, the newest team in the league, became the newest whipping boy after closing out with a 0-14 card.
Shopinas.com also became the first team to go out winless since sister squad Air21 lost all its eight Governors Cup games last season. And after Country Fair in the early 1980s, the Clickers became just the fifth team in league history never to win a game in a tournament.
Pop Cola, then under Norman Black in 1999, went 0-8 in the Governor’s Cup.
A Ginebra San Miguel squad in 1995 also failed to register a victory in 10 games in the 1995 Governor’s Cup before the franchise tabbed Marlou Aquino first overall in the draft last year which turned the fortunes of the team around.
“We played a very good first quarter and that was our target tonight. We wanted to make a statement early,” said coach Tim Cone. “We did that but after that, we kind of flattened out.
“We didn’t play with the same energy over the last three quarters. We had to get through this game and focus on the playoffs now.”
Joe Devance paced the Llamados with 18 points in 30 minutes, Josh Urbiztondo and Marc Pingris added 11 each with Pingris snaring 12 rebounds, and PJ Simon had a lukewarm 10 as the quartet’s production made up for a five-point night by two-time MVP James Yap.
First time
It was the first time in the season that Yap did not score in double figures.
James Sena scattered a career-high 20 points, with Elmer Espiritu knocking in 16.
Though the B-Meg offense slowed down in the final three quarters, its defense was on all night as the Llamados held Ren-Ren Ritualo to just seven points.
An interesting fact after last night’s result was the involvement of former UP slotman Magi King Sison in another winless squad. Sison was part of the 2007 and 2010 UP Maroons squads that went 0-14 on both seasons.
The scores:
First game
B-MEG 86—De Vance 18, Urbiztondo 11, Pingris 11, Simon 10, Acuna 6, Barroca 5, Yap J. 5, Reavis 5, Raymundo 5, Yap R. 4, De Ocampo 4, Ferriols 2.
SHOPINAS.COM 74—Sena 20, Espiritu 16, Escobal 12, Ritualo 7, Jazul 6, Sison 5, Duncil 4, Aquino 2, Hubalde 2, Canlas 0, Se 0.
Quarters: 28-11, 53-36, 72-56, 86-74
Second game
GINEBRA 88 – Cortez 17, Caguioa 16, Labagala 14, Canaleta 13, Wilson 8, Villanueva 7, Tubid 6, Intal 4, Menk 3, Maliksi 0, Mamaril 0.
BARAKO 83 – Miller 18, Najorda 14, Ababou 12, Arboleda 11, Allado 9, Seigle 8, Pena 6, Artadi 3, Pennisi 2, Salvador 0, Salvacion 0.
Quarters: 20-15, 47-32, 67-67, 88-83