MANILA, 16 March 2006 — The joyride continues for the Coca-Cola Tigers.
Tail-enders the last two conferences, the Tigers remained unscathed in three games last night after outsteadying Purefoods, 80-72, for the solo lead in the PBA Philippine Cup eliminations.
The Giants silenced Ali Peek somewhat, but Rob Wainwright came off the bench to contribute telling baskets as the Tigers won a hard-fought game for the first time while dealing Purefoods its first loss in two games. Coke remained as one of two teams with unblemished records after 10 days of the tournament even as Red Bull notched a first win, 99-87, at the expense of skidding Alaska in the second game. Idle Barangay Ginebra dropped to solo second because of the Coke win. The Gin Kings have a 2-0 card, winning last Sunday over Sta. Lucia, 99-93, despite using Eric Menk for just four minutes. Rookie Larry Fonacier scored all of his six fourth quarter points in a string, settling the issue for the Fiesta Conference champion Bulls, who jacked up their record to 1-1 while dealing the Aces a second straight setback for a 1-2 card.
“It’s hard to come off the bench and be expected to contribute the way he did,” Coke coach Binky Favis said of Wainwright.
Coke’s 3-0 record is the best start for the franchise since going 5-0 in the Reinforced Conference in 2003. Wainwright, who made his way into the PBA as Shell’s recruit from the Cebu Gems in the defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association, scored six of his eight points in a 10-2 Coca-Cola burst midway the final period that gave the Tigers a 66-56 lead.
And it was all the Tigers needed to keep the Giants at bay as cornerstones James Yap and Kerby Raymundo flubbed crucial charities that helped aid the Purefoods downfall.
Peek, after a record-setting 12-of-12 shooting Friday night, was held down to just 10 points. But the hulking power forward plucked down 16 rebounds and helped change a lot of Purefoods shots inside.
Yap wound up with 18 points and Raymundo chipped in 12. But the duo was a combined 14-of-34 from the field and coach Ryan Gregorio failed to get the usual numbers from Noy Castillo and Marc Pingris Castillo and Pingris combined for just 10 points even as rookie point guard Denok Miranda paced the Tigers with 20 points with Rafi Reavis accounting for 15.
Enrico Villanueva actually led all Red Bull shooters with 17 points, but it was Fonacier who snuffed the life out of Alaska late in the fourth with that six-point burst. After the Aces had come within 10 at 89-79, Fonacier first hit a triple and then sandwiched a Renzy Bajar basket for Alaska on the other end by completing a three-point play off Jeffrey Cariaso.
That was all he wrote as far as Alaska’s Tim Cone was concerned as the multi-titled bench master did not bother calling a timeout after that.
All told, all of the 11 Bulls that Yeng Guiao fielded contributed and five actually scored 10 or more with Rich Alvarez, who was traded to Red Bull by Alaska for future draft right, scoring 12. Mick Pennisi and Leo Najorda combined for another 22 points.
In rebounding from a loss that opened their campaign for a second straight conference title, the Bulls needed to regroup after almost blowing control in the third when the Aces mounted a series of rallies that made it a 72-66 game going into the fourth quarter.
