MANILA, 14 April 2008 — George Gervin Jr. played according to pedigree and didn’t embarrass his great father’s name in his Philippine Basketball Association debut.

Coca-Cola, though, was just a shade of the team that won its first three games to drop out of the lead in the Fiesta Cup eliminations.

Gervin performed at a level that did not disappoint, but the Tigers failed to cash in and fall to Air21, 102-95, after the Express got 25 points from import Steve Thomas and 21 points from Arwind Santos last night at the Araneta Coliseum.

The 6-foot Gervin arrived to pinch-hit for the injured Calvin Cage, shooting 26 points, issuing six assists and chalking up three steals. But even those brilliant numbers could not get the Tigers out of the cold performance.

Coca-Cola dropped to solo second at 3-1, leaving idle Sta. Lucia on top of the heap even as the Express improved to 2-2, the same slate held by Magnolia, which clobbered the Talk ‘N Text Phone Pals in the second game.

Thomas also had 15 rebounds and three other locals after Santos scored 10 or more. But more than the balanced offense they put up, the Express won this one by holding such a high-profile team like Coca-Cola below 100 points.

“We stood firm playing defense against such a talented team,” Air21 coach Bo Perasol said. “We knew that we didn’t have a problem on offense because this team knows it can score.

“I am just glad at how our defense has improved of late.” Air21 was in express mode right from the start, jumping out of the gates hard for a 24-9 lead to wield control until late in the third period when the Tigers were able to tie the score for the first time at 62. But a 22-14 run to open up the fourth period bloated a two-point lead, and the Express held on the rest of the way, thanks to some clutch free throw shooting and tenacious rebounding.

Jason Dixon, who took over the scoring when Cage fell to injury right in the Tigers’ first game, was held to 16 points last night, while superstar center Asi Taulava contributed only nine, veteran Nic Belasco eight and starting guard Alex Cabagnot six.

Magnolia, meanwhile, showed great chemistry for the second straight night and won consecutive games for the first time in the tournament. The Beverage Masters, though, took some doing against the talented and now hard-working Phone Pals.

Magnolia had to fight hard in the final period after almost losing an 18-point third quarter lead, getting the goods from almost everybody in its star-studded lineup to hand the Phone Pals their second loss in four outings.

Even third-string guard Jonas Villanueva shone, scoring five points in the third period and six straight critical points at one stretch of the fourth period that scuttled one of many comeback bids by the Phone Pals.

Talk ‘N Text lost coach Chot Reyes to technical fouls with 6:24 left after the firebrand mentor mocked game officials by waving a white handkerchief of surrender after feeling that he got the raw end of an offensive foul called on his import Aaron McGhee.

Danny Seigle scored 18 points, Dondon Hontiveros had 17 and import Jameel Watkins contributed 14 points and 17 rebounds to lead the Beverage Masters, who failed to advance past the quarterfinals of the Philippine Cup despite their strong roster.

McGhee led the Phone Pals with 22 points.