Source: Waylon Galvez, Manila Bulletin
-- Purefoods ace gunner James Yap won his MVP award five years ago but it was only in this conference that he bagged his first-ever Best Player of the Conference (BPC) – a testament to his status as one of the league’s certified stars.
Interestingly, Yap beat two-time MVP winner and Alaska’s top gunner Willie Miller for the BPC award of the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup during the awarding ceremony last night at the Araneta Coliseum.
The 28-year-old Yap, now in his sixth season in the pro league, actually finished only eighth after the semifinals stage with 27.6 statistical points, an improvement from 12th place at the end of classification phase.
“Siyempre masaya, first time ko ito manalo ng Best Player after six years ko sa PBA,” Yap said. “Sobrang blessed ako, dahil na din sa tulong ng mga teammates ko, coaches and also the management.”
Yap, no doubt one of the most popular players in the PBA today, also credited the support of his family, as well as the family of actress wife Kris Aquino, particularly the late President Cory Aquino, who he mentioned as his “No. 1 supporter”.
After norming only 15.8 points in the eliminations, Yap managed to raise his game in the quarterfinals that saw him average 21.4 points per contest as Purefoods eliminated Rain or Shine in a grueling five-game series.
After winning the BPC award, Yap has become a strong candidate for this year’s MVP award.
In the semifinals, he tormented San Miguel Beer by averaging 16.3 points per game as the Giants booted out the Beermen to clinch their 22nd Finals stint, 14th in an all-Filipino conference.
In Game 1 of the finals which the Giants won, 81-77, Yap scored 24 points with four rebounds then followed it up with a 32-point explosion, including 12 in the fourth quarter, in an 86-85 victory in Game 2.
In Game 3, he again led the Giants in scoring with 14 as they edged the Aces, 79-78, to move a win away from clinching the title.
Miller, a former two-time MVP and the reigning BPC (Philippine Cup), finished second in the voting, which ended last Monday conducted by the PBA Press Corps, TV carrier Solar Sports Entertainment, the PBA Commissioner’s Office, the players and coaches.
Others in the Top 10 were San Miguel Beer’s Arwind Santos, Alaska teammates Joe Devance and LA Tenorio, Talk ’N Text’s Mark Cardona and Harvey Carey, Rain or Shine’s Gabe Norwood, and Ginebra’s Ronald Tubid.
Source: ABS-CBN News
-- Purefoods captured the KFC PBA Philippine Cup All-Filipino title as it beat Alaska in 4 games to become the 3rd team in the league's history to win the crown via clean sweep.
The Giants outpointed the Aces, 86-76, in Game 4 of their best-of-7 championship series before a jampacked Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday night.
Just like the first 3 games, Purefoods paced Alaska with its superior defense.
In the 35-year history of the league, only 2 other teams have completed a 4-game sweep in a championship series, according to PBA.ph.
The RP Team, mentored by Ron Jacobs and carrying the colors of Northern Consolidated Cement, first accomplished the feat as guest squad by beating Manila Beer in the 1985 Reinforced Conference Finals.
The Swift Mighty Meaties, powered by import Tony Harris and coached by Yeng Guiao, duplicated the feat against Seven-Up in the Finals of the 1992 Third Conference.
In Game 1, the Giants outpaced the Aces, 81-77. They followed it up with 2 straight wins in Games 2 and 3, scoring 86-85 and 79-78, respectively.
Source: Nelson Beltran, Philippine Star
-- No team has ever swept the PBA All-Filipino finals. But with the feat within reach, expect Purefoods to go for it.
“We are upbeat about our chances in Game Four. We expect a determined Alaska team to come out firing on all cylinders and we must equal if not surpass their effort,” said Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio.
The Giants take on the embattled Alaska Milk Aces in Game Four of the KFC PBA Philippine Cup titular showdown tonight, looking to become the first ball club in league history to score a 4-0 sweep in the all-Filipino finals.
Gametime is 7:30 p.m. at the Araneta Coliseum with the Giants also out to distinguish themselves the first team to win the prestigious tourney five times after the Crispa Redmanizers in the early years of the league.
The Best Player of the Conference will be named before the opening tip-off, and it could well be Purefoods top gun James Yap.
The Giants intend to step up their game to complete their mission of ending the team’s three-year title drought.
“It has been a defensive match-up. We will set the tone on defense. In the first three games, we’re able to disrupt the rhythm of their triangle offense. We intend to do the same in Game Four,” Gregorio added.
Alaska isn’t losing hope, though, despite being in a hole no team in league history has ever recovered from.
“Our attitude is that they beat us three straight so there’s no reason we can’t beat them three straight as well. We believe,” said Alaska coach Tim Cone.
The veteran Alaska mentor is confident they can still regain the impressive form they’ve shown in topping the elimination phase then sweeping past the Barangay Ginebra Kings in their best-of-seven semifinal showdown.
If not, the Aces would go down in history as a team swept in the finals after sweeping their way in the semis.
The Giants are raring to finish off the Aces, wary of fatigue since they’ve been playing without relief since the quarterfinals.
“The same intensity on defense and intelligence in our execution of offense are required if we’re to close out the series,” said Gregorio, on line to achieve a third personal championship.
Gregorio and his troops set out for today’s game riding the momentum of a six-game romp, the team’s longest streak since a 7-0 start in the 2007-08 Philippine Cup.
Purefoods is 3-0 in a best-of-seven series versus Alaska for the second time after posting the same advantage in their 1994 Commissioner’s Cup finals duel. The Hotdogs were stopped then in Game Four before eventually winning the series in the next game.
Alaska went down 0-3 the last time versus Gordon’s Gin in the 1997 Commissioner’s Cup finale. The Aces survived two knockout games before succumbing in Game Six.
Cone said they have to solve Purefoods’ defense if they’re to get another day to live.
Source: Waylon Galvez, Manila Bulletin
-- Will it be James Yap of Purefoods or Willie Miller of Alaska?
The former national team backcourt partners are again locked in a tight and exciting race for the Best Player of the Conference in the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup, a development that is expected to add to their ongoing final series.
Interestingly, the coveted award will be given in Game 4 with the Giants going for a ‘dream sweep’ of their best-of-seven series.
Though Miller is ahead of Yap in the statistical points category, the Purefoods’ top gunner has provided leadership and consistent scoring for his team and is the big reason why the Giants are leading 3-0 in their series.
Yap has been doing great for the team since their classic quarterfinal duel with Rain or Shine where the former MVP averaged 21.4 points.
The 5-foot-11 Miller actually finished tied for third with Alaska teammate, forward Joe Devance, at the end of semifinals with similar 31.0 Statistical Points (SP).
Sta. Lucia’s Kelly Williams, the MVP two years ago, emerged the topnotcher with 40.6 followed by San Miguel’s Arwind Santos (35.4).
William’s bid, however, was scuttled when the Realtors lost to the Elasto Painters in the knockout wildcard.
The same thing befell on Santos as the Beermen, despite gaining outright semis berth, were beaten by the Giants in the Final Four.
The 6-foot-2 Yap, on the other hand, climbed steadily since their quarterfinal win over Rain or Shine.
From No. 12, Yap moved up to No. 8 with 27.6 SP.
In the first three games of the series, Yap averaged 23.3 points, which included a 32-point explosion in an 86-85 victory in Game 2, while Miller normed 18.3 points.
Miller, a two-time Most Valuable Player (MVP), is out to repeat his feat last year, and if successful, it will be his third BPC award.
Yap, on the other hand, is eyeing only his first trophy given to the top individual player every conference despite having won the MVP in 2005-06.
The two played together for the PBA-backed Powerade-Team Pilipinas in the previous FIBA-Asia Championship in Tianjin, China.
Others in the Top 10 were Talk ’N Text guard Mark Cardona (No. 5, 30.7), Alaska’s LA Tenorio (No. 6, 29.8), Rain or Shine’s Gabe Norwood (No. 7, 29.0),TNT’s Harvey Carey (No. 9, 27.5), and Ginebra’s Ronald Tubid (No. 10, 27.2).
Source: ABS-CBN News
-- Purefoods Tender Juicy crawled back from 14 points down in the last 5:29 to stun Alaska, 86-85, in Game 2 of the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup finals and take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-7 championship series Friday night at the Araneta Coliseum.
James Yap and Kerby Raymundo spearheaded the Giants’ uprising in the final 5 and 1/2 minutes to complete their miraculous win and move to two wins of claiming their 5th All-Filipino crown.
Yap had a season-high 32 points, 12 came in the fourth, while Raymundo had 6 of the team’s last 8 points in the last 1:21 including the game-winning free throw.
“We really fought hard to come back. We did not give up. We just kept on playing and got the chance to win in the end,” said Purefoods head coach Ryan Gregorio.
“We were so determined to win this game. We did not give up until the final buzzer,” he added.
With LA Tenorio and Brandon Cablay connecting their treys, Alaska zoomed to a 78-64 spread before the Giants staged the rally behind their two superstars.
Purefoods unloaded a 19-6 run capped by Raymundo’s two free throws on the final foul of Sonny Thoss to push the Giants within one, 83-84, 51.5 seconds left in the game.
Reynel Hugnatan turned the ball over in the next Aces possession and Yap gave Purefoods the lead with two free throws on Joe Devance’s foul, 85-84, 14.3 ticks remaining.
Devance knotted the score at 85-all on his split free throws, 5.6 seconds in the game clock before Raymundo was fouled by Devance in the next play, 1.7 seconds left.
Raymundo made the first and intentionally missed the second to deny Alaska a clear look for a last-second heave.
Aces head coach Tim Cone vehemently protested on the last call by referee Maui Maurillo on Devance and confronted the game officials after the final buzzer.
“Purefoods is sad tonight because they don’t want to win that way,” said Aces team manager Joaqui Trillo. “I think they don’t like that victory because it was given to them on a silver platter,” he added.
But for Gregorio, the referees were just consistent in the game.
“There was a contact and if you are batting for consistency, there should be a call because they’ve been calling that since the first quarter,” said Gregorio.
Rafi Reavis added 17 points and 7 rebounds for Purefoods in 41 minutes of action.
Tenorio led the Aces with 19 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Devance and Willie Miller each had 12 for the Uytengsu franchis, which will try to avoid a 0-3 hole with a win on Sunday.
No team in the PBA history has able to erase that deficit and win the best-of-7 series.
“Definitely we are happy but there’s no reason to be satisfied,” said Gregorio.
Source: GMA News
-- Purefoods’ shock troopers delivered when needed most, carrying the Giants past the Alaska Aces, 81-77, to take the opener of their KFC-PBA Philippine Cup best-of-seven Finals on Wednesday at the Araneta Coliseum.
It was Purefoods' fourth straight win dating back from its semifinals series against the San Miguel Beermen. Alaska was coming off a week-long break after a 4-0 sweep of Barangay Ginebra in their own semis contest.
Rafi Reavies and KG Canaleta scored the Giants last seven points while Mark Pingris had a double-double of 13 points and 13 rebounds in Purefoods’ Game 1 win that was tightly-fought all the way to the final seconds.
With a 1-0 lead, Purefoods hopes to make it two-in-a-row when Game 2 is played Friday also at the Big Dome.
Reavies finished with only six points, but scored all of them in the stretch run, including back-to-back baskets that kept the Giants afloat, 78-74.
He then blocked Willie Miller’s shot at the other end, before scoring on a follow up off a Roger Yap miss as Purefoods stretched the lead to six with 35 seconds left.
Alaska threatened for the last time at 80-77 on a pressure-packed three-pointer by Miller on top of the key in the final 11 seconds, but Canaleta sealed the win with a split from the foul line.
James Yap paced Purefoods with 24 points while Kerby Raymundo added 15, although both have to sit out considerable minutes in the third period due to foul trouble.
The Aces got 23 points from Miller, but the two-time most valuable player struggled from the field on a 9-of-23 shooting.
Joe DeVance was the only other Alaska player to hit double figures with 10.
Alaska trailed by seven early in the final quarter, only to bounce back and tied the game on a by Reynel Hugnatan, 72-all, midway in the final quarter.
The opening half was a tightly-fought one as Alaska and Purefoods battled to a 36-all tie after two quarters, with Miller showing the way for the Aces with 11 points, and James Yap for the Giants with 12.
After 12 minutes of play, the Aces held a 19-14 edge and could have led even more had Tony dela Cruz’s follow up basket not came a second short after the first quarter buzzer sounded.
Source: Nelson Beltran, Philippine Star
-- Purefoods is back in the KFC PBA Philippine Cup finals, ranged against a team – Alaska Milk – it has an old score to settle with.
The Giants arranged a third all-Filipino final showdown with the Aces as they completed an upset of the powerhouse San Miguel squad in their semifinal series with a stirring 87-78 win at the Araneta Coliseum last night.
For the third straight game, the Giants humbled the Beermen with a gutsy stand to win their best-of-seven series at 4-2.
Purefoods, thus, made the all-Filipino finals for the second time in three years and for the 12th time in franchise history, getting a crack at a fifth crown versus Alaska.
“It’s so nice to be back in the finals after a three-year dry spell. It’s like a rain after a long, long summer,” said Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio.
The top-seeded Alaska team and No. 3 Purefoods start their best-of-seven titular series with Game One Wednesday at the Araneta Coliseum.
The Giants are out to sustain their searing playoff run, looking to avenge losses to the Aces in their two previous all-Filipino confrontations.
“This is really answered prayers. We were witnesses to a great miracle in this series. We all know how strong that team is and how good a coach they have,” said Gregorio of their conquest of the second-seeded San Miguel side.
“At the start of the playoffs, I told myself I would be happy reaching the semis. But my players wanted more. And we knew all along that it doesn’t take the best players to win, it’s the players who give their best and that’s what we have in this team,” Gregorio added.
“Beating San Miguel is like winning a championship. But that is not enough. We’ve got past the second-seeded team and we’re looking forward to also make it past the top seed. We hope we still have the legs to prevail,” Gregorio also said.
So impressive were the Giants in the last three games, they led the Beermen from start to finish in each of those contests.
And like in Games Four and Five, starters James Yap, Roger Yap, Marc Pingris, Rafi Reavis and Kerby Raymundo gave Purefoods a tremendous lift in dishing out splendid jobs.
Roger Yap and Pingris both churned out double-double numbers while James Yap, Reavis and Raymundo contributed double-digit outputs.
Roger Yap had 20 points and 11 rebounds, Pingris 15 points and 13 rebounds, James Yap 18 points, five rebounds and three assists, Reavis 12 points and eight rebounds, and Raymundo 11 points, four rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks.
The Purefoods starters badly outscored their SMB counterparts, 76-39.
The Giants erected a 20-point spread late in the first half and showed tremendous staying power, repelling repeated comeback attempts by the Beermen.
San Miguel failed to shake off Purefoods, unable to get a shot at back-to-back championships after its triumphant finish in the 2008-09 Fiesta Conference.
More efficient on both ends, the Giants raced to a 20-point lead at 48-28 before settling for a 48-32 spread at halftime.
Purefoods established control early while hitting at a 48.6-percent clip, 12 percent better than San Miguel’s shooting in the first 24 minutes of play.
The Giants also dominated the boards, 25-18, on tremendous hustles.
Arwind Santos sank two free throws and converted an undergoal stab to narrow their deficit to 16 at the half.
The Giants were holding a slim 26-23 lead when they launched a searing attack to pull away at 48-28.
Source: GMA News
-- Purefoods goes for the kill Sunday night when it seeks a finals berth in the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup at the expense of a San Miguel team that have their backs on the ball at the Astrodome in Pasay City.
The Giants finally grabbed the lead in the best-of-seven series, 3-2, following a 94-82 rout of the Beermen in Friday’s Game 5.
And another win in the 6 p.m. encounter would have coach Ryan Gregorio and James Yap & Co. advancing to their first Finals stint in two years opposite the Alaska Aces.
Knowing how potent the Beermen are, Gregorio is treating the game with a lot of urgency.
"We know that San Miguel, with its roster power, could very well come back," he said. "That is why we are treating Game 6 as a do or die. SMB is such a strong team. You can’t blink, you have to be vigilant."
The Game 5 win by the Giants marked only the first time a team won back-to-back contest in the series, a breakthrough that had Gregorio grinning from ear-to-ear.
"Definitely we like where we are at this point. But there’s no point in celebrating until we win the next game," said Gregorio. "And we don’t want to give them any chance. Much as we lead the series 3-2, we’re still the underdogs trying to gate-crash the Finals."
Paced by Kerby Raymundo and Roger Yap’s 18 points, five players scored in double figures for the Giants the last time. James Yap, although struggling (5-of-17) from the field, still wound up with 17 points, while Nino Canaleta came off the bench to contribute 13 and Rafi Reavies had 10.
In the event the series comes to an end Sunday, Purefoods will have two days to prepare for the best-of-seven title series against Alaska on Wednesday.
The Aces cornered the first Finals berth after sweeping the Ginebra Kings on Feb. 17.
The Beermen have nothing to blame but themselves for Friday night’s loss.
They allowed Purefoods to shoot 46.6 percent from the field (34-of-73) and clearly was caught napping at times on missed attempts by the Giants, who got away with 18 second-chance points.
The Beermen likewise struggled offensively, making just 42 of their 70 shots (40 percent) from the floor.
Source: Nelson Beltran, Philippine Star
-- Alaska Milk is back in the all-Filipino finals.
The Aces cut loose from a tight game in the homestretch and completed a masterful sweep of the Barangay Ginebra Kings in their KFC PBA Philippine best-of-seven semifinal showdown with a 102-95 win last night at the Araneta Coliseum.
Pointguard LA Tenorio presided over the Aces’ mighty finish that carried them to an eighth all-Filipino finale and 24th overall with a crack at a 13th championship.
“Wow! Who would have thought we could do this. To be here beating Ginebra four in a row is an incredible feat,” said Alaska coach Tim Cone of their sweet sweep.
“I don’t know where we came from. The guys lifted our game to a whole new level. From the beginning in Game One, the guys were fresh, hungry and sharp. And they didn’t lose anything along the way. It’s kind of unusual,” Cone also said.
“Ginebra played well tonight. They had the game they wanted to play. But we still had a better night,” Cone added.
Tenorio produced 20 points and 10 assists, Reynel Hugnatan put in 18 points and 10 rebounds and big men Sonny Thoss and Joe De Vance combined for 29 points and 12 rebounds as Alaska kept its mastery of Ginebra, essaying only the fourth 4-0 playoff sweep in league history.
So impressive were the Aces in the series they walloped the Kings by an average margin of 13.25 points.
“We just had a real unusual series. Just anybody I picked from the bench played very well,” said Cone.
The Kings engaged the Aces in a battle in Game Four but ran out of gas, slowing it down at the finish.
After the Kings tied for the last time at 85-all, Tenorio banged away a trey to spark a decisive eight-to-nothing run, getting the Aces ahead to stay.
Purefoods rebounded from a humbling defeat, whipping San Miguel Beer, 97-84, and forcing a 2-2 deadlock in the other semfinal game.
James Yap and Kerby Raymundo, the team’s main men, shared the load with their teammates, resulting in a better team performance and the crucial win watched by a crowd of over 12,000.
Roger Yap went a rebound shy of a triple-double effort with Marc Pingris and Rafi Reavis having their own double-double job as they gave the Giants a tremendous lift in springing back from a 76-88 loss in Game Three.
Yap produced 15 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds, Pingris submitted 15 points and 11 rebounds while Reavis tallied 14 rebounds and 12 points in the game marred by the ouster of a San Miguel support staff on a technical infraction.
“I think this is the first time we hit the 20s in assist department. I told James and Kerby they have to share the ball. We have to get the other players involved on offense. Good thing they bought the idea,” said Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio.
“We’re not able to play our game. We allowed them to shoot 48 percent from the field and we’re also down in assists. Basically, that’s the story,” said San Miguel coach Siot Tanquingcen.
Imposing their game, the Giants led by as many as 21 points right in the first period before slowing down in the next two quarters then getting back into the groove in the final canto.
“It was a game of adjustments. They threw good defensive efforts but we had some antidotes and good thing they worked,” said Gregorio.
“We want to stay alive and we want to stay competing. When we regained control in the fourth, I practically begged (my players) ‘please don’t let them make a run again,’” Gregorio added.
The Beermen, behind Jonas Villanueva, Jay Washington and Arwind Santos, waged a searing rally in the final half, reducing a 22-point gap, 20-42, to three, 71-74, early in the fourth quarter.
The Giants, however, showed great composure, regaining control at 90-74, on a decisive roll led by Pingris and Roger Yap.
“It’s down to a best of three, and honestly I feel we have a legitimate crack with the way we’ve been playing and with the way we’ve been concentrating in trying to stop the team,” said Gregorio.
“But we need to give my players who play extensive minutes some rest again. At this point, it’s better to spend time in video room and talk about things that should be done. It’s unnecessary to practice on the court,” Gregorio added.
The Giants came out revitalized, sprinting to a 21-point spread at 29-8.
They then had several 22-point leads before settling for a 53-44 cushion at halftime.
San Miguel made it a more manageable deficit as Danny Ildefonso, Denok Miranda and Washington closed out the second period with five straight charities.
Source: GMA News
-- Who says a powerhouse team like San Miguel can’t play defense?
The Beermen shackled the Purefoods Giants in Game 3 of their KFC-PBA Philippine Cup semifinals, 88-76, to go up, 2-1, in the best-of-seven series.
So daunting was San Miguel on the defensive end Sunday night at the Araneta Coliseum that it forced the Giants to a paltry 36 percent field goal shooting, including a horrible 2-of-23 attempts from the three-point region.
Only KG Canaleta accounted for the two three-pointers of the Giants, with the rest going scoreless from downtown, from James Yap (0-of-6), Paul Artadi (0-for-5) to Kerby Raymundo and Roger Yap (0-for-3).
“We went back to basics. Bumalik kami sa depensa na nagpapanalo sa amin sa elimination round," said San Miguel coach Siot Tanquingcen.
“We’re more committed on defense in this game than the last time," added the soft-spoken mentor whose Beermen were blasted by the Giants in Game 2, 103-84.
Offensively, Dondon Hontiveros and Jay Washington took care of business for the Beermen, each finishing with 15 apiece, while support came from Arwind Santos (13), Mike Cortez (10) and Jonas Villanueva (10).
The Beermen led by as many as 17, 61-44, midway in the third period, before holding back a late Purefoods charge as Villanueva and Cortez each had eight in the closing quarter.
James Yap led the Giants with 14 along with Canaleta while Raymundo and Roger Yap each had 11. Rafi Reavies, who had 20 points in Game 2, was held down to only eight this time.
“One glaring stats for today’s game was our inability to score. That’s basically the story of the game," admitted Purefoods mentor Ryan Gregorio as his Giants were limited to just 12 points in the first 12 minutes, and only 34 at the break.
Source: Waylon Galvez, Manila Bulletin
-- After losing the series opener, Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio challenged James Yap and the Giants’ frontline to step their game up.
Yap and company did not frustrate Gregorio as they came through with solid games to help Purefoods score a surprisingly easy 103-84 win and level their Final Four series with San Miguel Beer in the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup Friday night at the Astrodome in Pasay City.
Veteran forward Rafi Reavis, one of the players acquired in the off-season, finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds as he ably filled the spot vacated by forward Kerby Ramundo, who was ejected from the game in the second period.
It was the 6-foot-7 Reavis’ best offensive game since the 2004 Fiesta Cup when he scored 22 as a member of Coca-Cola team.
Held to only eight points all from the foul line in an 83-99 loss in Game 1, Yap came through with 17 points, the same output of Nino Canaleta, who celebrated his 28th birthday with aplomb.
He shot 7-of-11 from the field, including 3-of-5 from the three-point territory. Game 3 is set this Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum.
“We wanted to come up with the same kind of effort and energy in Game 1. Unfortunately our legs were not present. Luckily today, we were able to play with tremendous effort, tremendous energy. We defended the way we defended other teams,” said Gregorio.
“Good things happen when we make stops. It’s really nice to finally win against San Miguel,” added Gregorio, whose team was 0-3 against SMB this conference prior to the game. “But it takes three more wins to win the series. We just cut it to a best-of-five.”
Holding a 14-point lead (73-59), Yap sparked a 6-0 run to open the final frame as Purefoods took a 79-59 edge with 10:48 left in the game.
SMB trimmed the deficit to 11, 70-81, when forward Danny Seigle (16 points) led a comeback, but Purefoods responded with big baskets down the stretch from Canaleta and Yap, who made a triple for a 93-71 advantage with 3:30 to play.
The Giants were aggressive both ends as they shot 40 of 81 (49.4 percent) from the field while dominating the boards, 51-44. They held the Beermen to a miserable 29-of-75 shooting (38.7 percent).
SMB also failed to capitalize on the ejection of the 6-foot-6 Raymundo with 4:11 left in the second period with Purefoods ahead, 42-30.
Source: Nelson Beltran, Philippine Star
-- Alaska Milk came out bristling in form despite a long 18-day layoff, routing a weary Barangay Ginebra side for a 104-79 win in the opener of their KFC PBA Philippine Cup best-of-seven semifinal showdown at the Araneta Coliseum last night.
Sonny Thoss and Joe De Vance both came through with a double-double showing with LA Tenorio and Tony dela Cruz adding double-digit outputs as the Aces dominated a Ginebra team drained by a grueling stint in the quarterfinals versus Talk n Text.
“We hoped this to happen but not totally expected it,” said Alaska coach Tim Cone.
“They were emotionally and physically tired having to go through that tough quarters series with Talk n Text. But this is just the first game of a long series. They will take a deep breath and I expect a tough game in Game Two,” Cone said.
San Miguel Beer, another team coming off a long rest, walloped Purefoods, 99-83, in Game One of their own best-of-seven semis series.
“Our long break worked well for us. It became a big advantage, giving our injured players time to recover. Danny Seigle and Danny Ildefonso rejoined us in this game and they were of big help,” said San Miguel coach Siot Tanquingcen.
“However, it’s just one game. We must not fall in a wrong sense of security. For sure, Purefoods will play with a lot of energy in the next game,” Tanquingcen added.
After yielding the first basket to Enrico Villanueva, the Aces answered with a 23-8 attack and they utterly outplayed the Kings all the way to the finish.
“We’re a step slow tonight. The Talk n Text series took its toll on us and we didn’t have the fire,” said Ginebra coach Jong Uichico.
“But that’s the way it is and we have no excuse. We must find a way to refresh ourselves. It’s only zero-one and hopefully we can recover,” Uichico said.
With the Alaska starters coming out strong and the reserves also playing well, the Aces took control throughout, leading by as many as 22 points right in the first half.
De Vance and Thoss outclassed Villanueva, Eric Menk and Billy Mamaril with the former churning out 20 points and 18 rebounds and the latter submitting 21 points and 11 rebounds.
Tenorio added 19 points, six assists, five rebounds and two steals while Dela Cruz chipped in 10 points, six rebounds and three assists for the Aces who never showed the effect of a long layoff.
“This is really the best practice team I’ve ever coached. They competed against each other in practice. We battled during the break and that’s the key to this game,” said Cone.
“The guys were sharp. They didn’t turn the ball over even as Ginebra applied the pressure,” Cone added.
The Aces lorded it over the boards, 59-40, and shot much better, hitting at a 49.4 percent clip as against the Kings’ 36 percent shooting.
Practically all the Ginebra players were off except curiously Mark Caguioa who’s still smarting from a knee injury.
Caguioa, playing only his eighth game in the tourney, nailed three triples and finished with a game-high 23 points that went with four rebounds and two steals.
“What I’m disappointed about is seeing players who don’t rise to the challenge, who can’t find the inner strength to rise above adversity,” said Uichico without mentioning any player in particular.
Only two Ginebra players finished in double figures with reserve forward Sunday Salvacion knocking in two triples and a total of 14 points.
JC Intal, who averaged 23.8 points in the quarters, was held down to seven while Ronald Tubid, norming 16.2 points in the tourney, was limited to eight.
The Kings compounded their dilemma when Celino Cruz and Menk sustained injuries that prevented them from finishing the contest.
Source: ABS-CBN News
-- Barangay Ginebra rode again on JC Intal's all-around performance to score a 113-100 win over Talk ‘N Text in Game 5 of their best-of-5 quarterfinal series to enter the semifinals of the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup in front of more than 20,000 fans Sunday night at the Araneta Coliseum.
Intal hit a career-high 28 points to go along with his 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks in his best performance yet in the series to carry the Kings to the best-of-7 semis duel against top seed Alaska.
"I can't find an explanation on this. It has nothing to do with me but the players for not giving up," said Ginebra head coach Jong Uichico, who became the first mentor to overhaul a 0-2 deficit in a best-of-5 series and win it.
"I'm happy we're able to make it to the semis despite what happened in the past," he added.
Ronald Tubid added 16 markers while Eric Menk had the same number of output but added 14 rebounds to lead the frontline attack of the Ranidel de Ocampo-less Tropang Texters.
De Ocampo was suspended by the league for his flagrant foul penalty 2 on Tubid in the abbreviated Game 4. TNT walked out in that game as they questioned calls by the referees.
This time, there's no question that the game belonged to Ginebra, which led from start to finish even though the Texters made some attempts to steal the game from the Kings.
The last time TNT threatened was at 96-102 on Jimmy Alapag's back-to-back three-pointers but the Kings, behind Intal and Menk, finished off the period with an 11-4 windup to dethrone the All-Filipino champions.
Mark Cardona paced TNT with 21 points while Jason Castro and Alapag each had 18 apiece for coach Chot Reyes.
Giants end Painters' bid
Purefoods Tender Juicy halted the magical run of Rain or Shine in the tournament with a masterful 95-85 victory to clinch their best-of-5 quarterfinal series, 3-2.
James Yap fired a game-high 28 points, 13 came in the third period that helped the Giants to break away from close game and face San Miguel Beer in the best-of-7 semifinal series starting Wednesday.
Kerby Raymundo and Roger Yap each had 16 markers for Purefoods, which was forced by the young Elasto Painters to a deciding Game 5 after taking a 2-0 lead in the series.
"Rain or Shine is always a hard match up for us. They are younger and quicker team than us," said Giants head coach Ryan Gregorio who also drew 14 points and 16 rebounds, 8 from the offensive end.
"But I told the players in Game 5, you throw away the stats. Just bring your huge heart on the court and that's what we brought tonight," he added.
Yap, who struggled in Games 3 and 4, was instrumental in Purefoods' strong third quarter as it scored the Elasto Painters, 30-19, to turn a 50-47 halftime edge into an 80-66 cushion going to the final quarter.
The Giants were still holding a 91-79 lead before Rain or Shine responded with a quick 6-0 run capped by Solomon Mercado's triple to stay within striking distance, 85-91, 3:05 left in the game.
But the Painters' hope to come closer ended as Yap hit a jumper in the ensuing play after Rain or Shine came out empty in its next possession, Raymundo sealed the win with two free throws off Eddie Laure, 95-85, 1:37 remaining.
"It's a great relief we finally hurdled this one because they are really a tough team and at certain times, that team possesses bigger hearts than us," said Gregorio.
Mercado led the Elasto Painters with 23 points but was hobbled by foul trouble all throughout the game. Gabe Norwood was the only other Rain or Shine player in double figures with 20 points.
Jeff Chan, one of the stars in Rain or Shine's back-to-back wins, was held down to just 8 points and was 1-of-6 from the rainbow area.
Source:
-- In the second game, Eddie Laure avenged his Game 2 booboo with a huge three-pointer in the closing minutes that helped Rain or Shine survive Purefoods Tender Juicy, 103-100, to tie their own quarterfinal series to 2-all.
Laure fouled James Yap in the second game of the series with less than a second left that resulted a to 94-95 loss. For Friday's game, he buried a three-pointer to put the lead back to the Elasto Painters, 101-100.
Roger Yap had a crucial turnover in the next play that led to 2 free throws of Jeff Chan, 103-100, and Kerby Raymundo and Nino Canaleta missed their own three-point attempts as time expired.
Sol Mercado led Rain or Shine with 24 points, 4 rebounds and 8 assists while Gabe Norwood added 20.
Raymundo returned to the series after sitting out Game 3 and fired a game-high 34 points for the Giants.
Source: ABS-CBN News
-- Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants needed a couple of crucial defensive stops in the end to deny Rain or Shine Elasto Painters game 1 of their best-of-5 quarterfinal series in the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup Friday night at the Araneta Coliseum.
James Yap hit a game-high 31 points while Roger Yap preserved the 90-85 win for the Giants with a key deflection of Sol Mercado’s pass in the closing seconds.
Roger Yap added 17 points for No. 3 seed Purefoods while Kerby Raymundo chipped in 12 points and 11 rebounds.
“We really expected a tough Game 1 because the momentum is on their side,” said Giants head coach Ryan Gregorio.
“I told the players that in the end, defense will bail us out. We had key steals and key stops and made crucial free throws that were enough to win Game 1,” he added.
Ryan Arana had 19 points for the No. 9 seed Elasto Painters, who had to go through the tough wildcard stage before earning a spot in the quarterfinals.
The Elasto Painters almost pulled off another shocker against the well-rested Giants. They fought them toe-to-toe the whole game, but crucial mistakes down the stretch cost them the series opener.
Purefoods was holding an 85-78 advantage on back-to-back triples by James Yap and Roger Yap with 4:02 left, but Rain or Shine got back in the game with a 7-3 exchange to threaten at 85-88 with 2:08 remaining.
After both teams exchanged empty possessions, the Elasto Painters had the chance to move closer after Raymundo muffed a 12-foot jumper in the previous play.
But Mercado, the hero in Rain or Shine’s twin victories in the wildcard stage, committed a crucial error as his pass was deflected by Roger Yap, resulting in a foul by the Elasto Painters guard.
The two players were actually given a technical foul each for taunting after the play.
Roger Yap split his free throws to give the Giants an 89-85 cushion with 28.3 ticks left, and Eddie Laure’s three-point attempt was way off the mark to hand Purefoods the win.
“There will be no celebration yet. It takes 3 wins to win the series. I expect Rain or Shine to play its hearts out on Sunday,” said Gregorio.
Mercado finished with 17 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists while Laure added 16. Gabe Norwood had a quiet 12-point performance on 5-of-13 shooting from the field.
Texters clobber Kings
Defending champion Talk ‘N Text withstood Barangay Ginebra’s rally in the third quarter and scored a 107-92 to grab a 1-0 lead in their own best-of-five quarterfinal series.
Jason Castro led the Tropang Texters’ balanced attack with 20 points in 26 minutes and added 7 rebounds and 4 steals.
Jimmy Alapag chipped in 19 while Harvey Carey contributed 13 points and 13 rebounds for Talk ‘N ext, which led by as much as 22 points in the second quarter before the Kings exploded for 33 points in the third period to get back in the game.
“We knew they will make a run and at halftime, I told the players not to lose our heads,” said Tropang Texters head coach Chot Reyes.
“But we also did a good job on their wingmen. When Ginebra made the run in the eliminations, it was because of the trio of JC Intal, Cyrus Baguio and Ronad Tubid. We were able to limit Tubid tonight,” he added.
Intal led the Kings with 19 points while Enrico Villanueva added 16. Baguio finished with 12 but Tubid was held down to just 2 on 1-of-8 shooting from the field.
