PBA Commissioner’s Cup: B-Meg nips Barako, 88-86

MANILA, Philippines – B-Meg overcame a lackadaisical first half to nip Barako Bull, 88-86, Wednesday night in the 37th PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay.

Joe Devance and Marc Pingris teamed up to fill the void left by import Denzel Bowles, who was hobbled by foul trouble the majority of the game.

“We really played a discombobulated first half and I thought the guys came out in the second half focused on both ends making the smart plays,” said B-Meg head coach Tim Cone.

Devance led the way with 26 points, five rebounds and three assists while Pingris’ nine points and five rebounds didn’t really show how he impacted Llamados’ game in the second half with his usual energy and unmatched intensity.

Bowles finished with 19 points and 13 rebounds in just 29 minutes.

B-Meg, which trailed 41-52 at the half, won its second game in as many stints while Barako Bull dropped to 1-1.

Lanky import Dermarr Johnson had 21 points but struggled in the last two quarters en route to a seven-of-25 shooting.

Johnson, a sixth overall pick by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2000 NBA Draft, scored all but two of his buckets in the first half.