source: Waylon Galvez | mb.com.ph
Coca-Cola, its back against the wall, stunned erstwhile league-leader San Miguel Beer, 118-107, Thursday night to fuel its playoff hopes in the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.
Asi Taulava anchored the Tigers’ victory with a double-double 27 points and 15 rebounds with six assists.
Coca-Cola, which avenged its 84-107 loss to the same team last Nov. 21 in Cebu City, also got solid contributions from guard RJ Rizada, who averages only 6.6points this all-Filipino conference but came off the bench to score a career-best 20 points, 12 in the fourth quarter, and forward Norman Gonzales, who chipped in 22 points and eight boards.
The Tigers were up by 11, 106-95, after Larry Rodriguez converted his freebies off Mick Pennisi, who was assessed a Flagrant Foul Penalty 1 for planting an elbow on Rodriguez’s neck with 2:55 left.
But the Beermen, playing without injured players Jay Washington (back), Dorian Pena (knee), Danny Seigle (strained leg), and Danny Ildefonso (ankle), rallied with an 8-0 explosion to threaten, 103-106, a little over two minutes to go.
Taulava, however, scored on a drive, and, after a miss by Enrico Villanueva, Rodriguez scored to give the Tigers breathing room, 110-103, with 1:14 to play.
The victory improved Coca-Cola’s win-loss record to 4-12 for a share of eighth spot with idle Rain or Shine.
The Beermen, who have clinched the first automatic semifinals slot, slipped to 13-4.
Coke coach Bo Perasol credited his players for stepping up big time in a game that has a lot of importance in their playoff bid.
“We’re lucky to catch San Miguel in a game that has no importance to them, but is very important for us. I told my players that whatever happens, we have to feel good for ourselves because we have two important games,” Perasol said.
Perasol is referring to Coke’s last two games against Rain or Shine this Friday at the Big Dome and on January 20 versus Barako Bull.
“We’ll make sure that we’ll not be the first to be eliminated this conference,” added Perasol, who is now 3-6 since he took over the Tigers, replacing Kenneth Duremdes, now the team’s alternate governor in the PBA board.
Rodriguez had 14 points, 12 rebounds, while Mark Macapagal had 13 for the Tigers, who missed the services of Gary David, serving a one-game suspension for his F2 on Purefoods’ Rico Maierhofer, and injured Chico Lanete. They were acquired in a trade with Burger King last month.
The scores:
First Game
COCA-COLA 118 – Taulava 27, Gonzales 22, Rizada 20, Rodriguez 14, Macapagal 13, Calimag 8, Ross 4, Enrile 4, Bono 2, Cruz 2, Espino 2.
SAN MIGUEL 107 – Santos 22, Tugade 19, Cortez 12, Miranda 12, Pennisi 11, Miranda 11, Custodio 8, Villanueva 6, Racela 5, Hontiveros 5, Eman 4, Holper 4.
Quarters: 28-30, 51-47, 82-74, 118-107.
No comments:
Post a Comment