MANILA: Though he wouldn't show it, but as of now, Burger King coach Yeng Guiao is laughing the hardest.
Guiao tried - and succeeded - in hiding all the joy he felt Friday night, moments after dealing Japeth Aguilar and Smart Gilas a 115-105 drubbing last night that put his Whoppers back on track in the Philippine Cup eliminations at the Araneta Coliseum.
"It's nice to win over Smart Gilas when it really counts," Guiao, in a stoic manner, told scribes before giving it all away with a statement that obviously said how he truly felt inside.
"The win was more satisfying because they've beefed up for this game," he said in obvious reference to Aguilar, who played just one game under him at Burger King after the 6-foot-9 rookie center worked to get out of his squad.
Aguilar played in just his second PBA game, just less than a week after Burger King traded him to Talk 'N Text, with the Tropang Texters, citing national interest first, giving him directly to the training pool.
"I don't have anything to say about Japeth Aguilar," Guiao said after someone foolishly asked him the question those in the know didn't dare asking him. "I guess he's happy where he is and we are happy where we are." The loss was particularly ugly as far as Smart Gilas was concerned, since the team paraded the finest amateur talents in the land reinforced by Aguilar and naturalization candidate CJ Giles, a former LA Laker in the NBA.
Giles fouled out with still six minutes remaining and the National Aspirants trailing by six, and with him went all of their chances of turning around the game which took an ugly twist late in the second quarter when Wynne Arboleda punched a courtside fan.
Arboleda retaliated after being continuously cursed at by a Chris Tiu fan, a certain Alain Katigbak, whom he punched at least twice.The hard-nosed Burger King guard admitted to his fault, but at the same time said that the fan had it coming.
"I'm sure I will get heavily fined and suspended," Arboleda said in Filipino while in the dugout. "But he (Katigbak) crossed the line and fans should also have the responsibility of watching the games in an educated way.
"This fan was different. He was really looking for a fight. He was not there to cheer his team because what he did was only curse at me and my teammates." Arboleda has been summoned to a 10:30 a.m. meeting by the Office of the Commissioner and could be suspended for multiple games and fined stiffly.
Ronjay Buenafe paced the Whoppers with 25 points with Gary David adding 24 in performances that were vast improvements from the way they played in a 93-80 beating they got at the hands of Purefoods, curiously, when Aguilar was still with them. Former La Salle gunslinger JV Casio led the National aspirants with 28 points, while Tiu added 21.
Aguilar, the No. 1 Draft choice, still played well below his potential, finishing with 18 points and six rebounds as Burger King improved to 1-1.
Defending champion Talk 'N Text, after getting 16 points from Mac Cardona, debuted in style, ripping Rain or Shine in the nightcap, 85-76, to join early winners Purefoods, Barangay Ginebra and the Alaska Aces.
Sta. Lucia, the champion here two seasons ago, also got off on the right foot, scoring a 95-76 destruction of Coca-Cola despite being without old skipper Dennis Espino for the first time in 14 seasons.
Ryan Reyes, in his first game since the playoffs of the last Fiesta Cup, scored 21 points built around a 4-of-6 clip from three-point range even as four others scored 13 points or more.
The balanced offensive attack befuddled the Tigers no end, even with Coca-Cola showing up with a twin tower combination in Espino and Asi Taulava.
Sta. Lucia got 14 points each from Joseph Yeo, Gabby Espinas and the returning Kelly Williams, who missed most of last season because of a rare blood disease. Yeo also had 10 assists.
"I'd like to think that we are one of the top teams in the PBA," Sta. Lucia coach Boyet Fernandez said. "I cannot say exactly what rank, but we will be there. Talent-wise, my team has the capability of matching up with the best." Incidentally, the Aces gun for a second straight win and the solo lead today in the first road game scheduled at the Panabo Cultural Center in Panabo, Davao del Norte.
