KaTropa, Hotshots escape with fourth victories

NorthPort’s Mo Tautuaa shoves TNT’s Harvey Carey off his path. —AUGUST DELA CRUZ

TNT KaTropa roared back from 23 points down to clip NorthPort, 104-102, to win for the third straight game and get back into solid playoff contention in the PBA Governors’ Cup at Smart Araneta Coliseum on Sunday night.

Marqus Blakely canned a layup with under seven second left to break the game’s last tie at 102 as the KaTropa, under new coach Bong Ravena, completed one of the biggest rallies in the season-ending conference to rise to 4-4.

It was a bitter pill to swallow for the Batang Pier, who suddenly turned cold in the fourth quarter, remaining winless in six games and in great danger of becoming the first team to miss the playoffs.

“It’s just all hard work,” Ravena said of the win carved out even without Jason Castro who has bone spurs in his foot. “The important thing is for us to sustain our energy level [in our next games].”

Paul Lee capped off a 28-point night with the marginal short jumper from left corner that completed Magnolia’s comeback for a 109-108 decision of San Miguel Beer in the nightcap.

The Hotshots closed out with five unanswered points inside the final 51.5 seconds to erase a four-point deficit before sealing their fourth win in five games by preventing the Beermen from scoring in three attempts inside the last 25.3 ticks.

San Miguel, still without reigning four-time Most Valuable Player June Mar Fajardo, dropped to 2-3 despite getting a superlative debut from jetlagged import Kevin Travis, who finished with 37 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.

The KaTropa’s next stretch of the elimination round will be against powerhouses San Miguel Beer, Magnolia and defending champion Barangay Ginebra in that order.

NorthPort was playing fluidly and erected a 60-37 lead. It entered the fourth quarter still ahead by 16 and looked headed for a cruise that would have cheered up grieving coach Pido Jarencio, who recently lost a brother.

Stanley Pringle already had 13 points, nine rebounds and six assists after the first two periods but was effectively shut down in the final half. He finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds.

Terrence Romeo had some big baskets in the fourth, his triple with just over three minutes left tying the game at 93 to apply all the pressure on the Batang Pier. He wound up as the top scorer for the KaTropa with 25 points.

Blakely, whose first and fruitful stints in the league happened while with the San Mig/Purefoods franchise, had 23 points and 11 rebounds, never losing focus even with his team trailing big and after several heated confrontations with the opponents.

Rashad Woods scored 19 points and had 11 rebounds for the Batang Pier, who would need nothing less than a sweep of their last five games to have a chance at advancing.

Barangay Ginebra, after nipping Phoenix Petroleum Saturday in Cagayan de Oro, is leading at 5-1.