MANILA, 3 December 2007 — Kindly forgive basketball’s latest cliché: one good win deserves another.
But the Magnolia Beverage Masters just accomplished something that’s virtually next to impossible.
Three days after dealing the best team by far in the Smart-PBA Philippine Cup its worst defeat this season, the Beverage Masters came through with another spectacular win, climbing back from a 24-point halftime deficit and posting a 96-93 victory over the dejected Talk ‘N Text Phone Pals at the Ynares Center.
Lordy Tugade ended up as the man of the hour for the team that looked done after two quarters, knocking down a three-point basket at the buzzer and preserving a superb effort by Dondon Hontiveros, the one responsible for triggering the comeback by the Beverage Masters in the second half.
As the Phone Pals stood in disbelief over a result that appeared to be easy in their favor, Tugade lay at mid-court, pumping his fists, getting buried by teammates rejoicing like college players who had just won the game of their lives.
Who, in their right mind, wouldn’t be?
The Beverage Masters played without much fire and spunk - very unlikely for a team that just defeated Purefoods in their previous game 108-86 - and saw how the Phone Pals whip them in the first two periods, 53-29.
When the Beverage Masters came out from the halftime break, it was as if both teams had swapped characters.
From that 24-point bubble, Magnolia was able to creep to within 59-73 going into the fourth. And after Talk ‘N Text erected an 82-74 lead in the last 5:29, the Beverage Masters unloaded a 13-2 run to wrest the upper hand for only the first time, 87-84 on a triple from Hontiveros.
Yancy de Ocampo scored five straight points against Hontiveros’ two free throws, the tail-end of which was a triple that tied the count at 89-89 with 1:25 left.
Jimmy Alapag then had two points on a breakaway lay-up that nearly missed and Jay Washington added two free throws as Talk ‘N Text again appeared to be on the brink of victory, 93-89 with 52 seconds to go.
Danny Ildefonso, however, had his own share of heroism. He converted a pair of free throws after being fouled by De Ocampo, and then deflected a pass by Harvey Carey that led to a lay-up by LA Tenorio to tie the game for the last time with 23 seconds remaining.
The Phone Pals tried to use all the time left for the game-winning shot, and they almost had it. Alapag drove strong to the basket and drew defenders, but instead dished off a long pass to Mac-Mac Cardona who was waiting on the left wing. The former De La Salle ace launched his three-point attempt, but the shot missed, and Tenorio grabbed the rebound and immediately called time.
There were only two seconds remaining for Magnolia to put up a shot. But it did not come as a huge hinder for the man they call the ‘Alaminos Assasin.’
Tugade found his way through the left corner and received the inbounds pass from Hontiveros, and then turned around for the shot as Alapag tried to reject it.
The ball hit the rim and rattled in, and the Beverage Masters knew even before game officials could decide on it that it was good as counted.
“Great players deliver in tough situations,” said Magnolia coach Siot Tanquingcen.
Hontiveros scored all of his 26 points in the second half and Tugade ended up with 19 markers for Magnolia, which improved to 7-4.
It was the second straight loss for the Phone Pals, who one week ago got stung by Red Bull, 104-109. The setback also was a sorry welcome for Ali Peek, the player the Phone Pals decided to get in order for them to let go of Asi Taulava.
Talk ‘N Text dropped to 5-6 in the standings.
Air21, meantime, had to rely on Ranidel de Ocampo and a career-high 29 points from Arwind Santos to hurdle a tough Welcoat five in the opener, 88-80.
De Ocampo nailed down four straight points — a pair of free throws and a tough jumper in the last 26 seconds - to lift the Express to the scary victory, their fifth in 10 games.
Welcoat played without ace post-up player Jay-R Reyes (swollen knee) and Rob Wainwright. But the team that was dead last in the previous season looked like a ball club not short in manpower after taking a 16-point, 37-21 lead in the second quarter.
“The boys were too confident because Jay-R Reyes wasn’t playing,” admitted Air21 coach Bo Perasol.
What the Express did to overcome the deficit was something they’ve always had success in the past.
Knowing they’re the better team when the game gets fast and furious, the Express stunned the Dragons with an air-tight pressing defense, and forced Welcoat to commit a spate of passing errors and reckless attempts at the basket. A 19-6 assault turned a 37-46 deficit into a 56-52 lead with still three minutes left in the third period.
Welcoat recovered its bearings and took a 64-60 edge going into the fourth quarter, and even claimed an 80-77 lead in the last 4:08 of the game. Never did the Dragons realize that that was the last time they would score.
De Ocampo then scored two free throws, and after Santos had a breakaway dunk, added two more before completing his heroics with a tough jumper in the last 26 seconds as Air21 virtually sealed the outcome with an 85-80 lead. In games Saturday at the Quezon Convention Center in Lucena City , Taulava pulled down a conference-high 24 rebounds and scored 26 points as the Coca-Cola Tigers finally snapped a franchise-worst eight-game losing streak in beating Sta. Lucia Realty, 94-79 while Alaska turned back Ginebra, 87-82.
It was only the second win by the Tigers, their first coming against Welcoat last Oct. 19 (85-76). The victory also was a fitting vengeful act after Coca-Cola suffered a 97-63 loss to the Realtors in the first round.
Still, the Tigers are still in the bottom of the 10-team standings with a 2-8 (win-loss) record. The Dragons are in 9th spot at 3-7 and the Gin Kings at 4-7 after the setback to the Aces.
Ginebra, which came into the match victory-fresh against Welcoat (94-87), was held scoreless in the last minute. Jeffrey Cariaso hit a jumper and Mike Cortez a triple from an 82-82 count to seal Aces’ third straight win and seventh overall in 11 games.
