Powerhouses back on top
MANILA—San Miguel Beer and Alaska picked up where they left off—only this time, the Beermen had the last laugh.
Alex Cabagnot dropped the winning, double-pumping jumper with three-tenths of a second left and keyed a 99-97 San Miguel victory over the Aces Wednesday night in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.
The long-haired point guard made the winning basket despite San Miguel’s final play going awry after he milked the clock so much that it left him with no other option but to drive against LA Tenorio and launch a shot against a double team.
“It was definitely a broken play,” said Cabagnot, who tallied 10 points and 10 assists—his first double-double in a San Miguel uniform. “But coach said he wanted a last shot and I was just following instructions.”
It was the first meeting between the two squads since last season’s Fiesta Conference finals, which the Aces won.
It was also San Miguel’s third straight win, keeping new head coach Ato Agustin undefeated, as the Beermen joined Talk ‘N Text on top at 4-1.
The Tropang Texters hammered Powerade to near-submission in a 108-89 victory in the first game.
“I knew that this was going to be an up-tempo, run-and-gun game. And it was right down our alley,” said Talk ‘N Text coach Chot Reyes.
“We are a team that just loves to run and I thought that we just had more horses tonight,” he added.
Kelly Williams scored 21 points and plucked down 16 boards and Ali Peek had 18 and 10 for the Texters, who broke away in the middle two quarters to pull off one the most one-sided games thus far in the young, season-opening tournament.
Talk ‘N Text led by as many as 32 points, 88-56, with 2:35 left in the third period after a Peek basket. It was the biggest lead by a team this season.
Arwind Santos scored 27 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and Dondon Hontiveros scattered 26 markers for San Miguel, which actually survived the loss of a 92-87 lead after going scoreless for a three-minute span.
“There was a lot of luck involved,” Agustin told reporters in Filipino. “The breaks came our way because they (Aces) missed a lot of free throws.”
Alaska, which took its second loss in five games, muffed five straight free throws at one point and bungled a total of seven in the fourth period alone.
Joe Devance led the Aces, who took the Fiesta Conference crown with a 4-2 series win against the Beermen, with 22, including a tough fallaway jumper with 1:28 left for a 96-93 Alaska lead. Photo by Nuki Sabio, PBA
The scores:
First Game
TALK ‘N TEXT 108—Williams 21, Peek 18, Alapag 16, Fonacier 12, Dillinger 10, Yee 8, Castro 8, Aban 7, Carey 6, Alvarez 2, Telan 0.
POWERADE 89—David 17, Antonio 17, Espino 15, Ritualo 15, Laure 11, Rizada 4, Reyes J. 3, Macapagal 3, Reyes R. 2, Lanete 2, Calimag 0, Gonzales 0, Mendoza 0.
Quarters: 27-25, 58-43, 94-63, 108-89
Second Game
SAN MIGUEL 99—Santos 27, Hontiveros 26, Washington 10, Cabagnot 10, Seigle 9, Artadi 4, Pena 4, Miranda 3, Yeo 2, Tugade 2, Ildefonso 2, Racela 0, Pennisi 0.
ALASKA 97—De Vance 22, Thoss 16, Tenorio 12, Baguio 12, Dela Cruz 12, Custodio 8, Hugnatan 7, Borboran 6, Eman 2.
Quarters: 38-24, 48-43, 74-78, 99-97
First Game
TALK ‘N TEXT 108—Williams 21, Peek 18, Alapag 16, Fonacier 12, Dillinger 10, Yee 8, Castro 8, Aban 7, Carey 6, Alvarez 2, Telan 0.
POWERADE 89—David 17, Antonio 17, Espino 15, Ritualo 15, Laure 11, Rizada 4, Reyes J. 3, Macapagal 3, Reyes R. 2, Lanete 2, Calimag 0, Gonzales 0, Mendoza 0.
Quarters: 27-25, 58-43, 94-63, 108-89
Second Game
SAN MIGUEL 99—Santos 27, Hontiveros 26, Washington 10, Cabagnot 10, Seigle 9, Artadi 4, Pena 4, Miranda 3, Yeo 2, Tugade 2, Ildefonso 2, Racela 0, Pennisi 0.
ALASKA 97—De Vance 22, Thoss 16, Tenorio 12, Baguio 12, Dela Cruz 12, Custodio 8, Hugnatan 7, Borboran 6, Eman 2.
Quarters: 38-24, 48-43, 74-78, 99-97
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