MANILA: What could possibly go down as Alaska ‘s biggest endgame play in the Philippine Cup came from the smallest man on the team.
LA Tenorio executed a designed alley-oop play to perfection Wednesday night to forge extension before the Aces nipped Talk ‘N Text, 119-113, to creep closer toward an automatic semifinal slot in the season-opening tournament at the Araneta Coliseum.
“It was designed that way. We were hoping that they would ignore LA for that alley-oop,” Alaska coach Tim Cone said after his Aces improved to 11-1 overall. “We told (in-bounder) Tony (dela Cruz) to stay patient and wait for that play to develop.“This game is about perseverance and team play,” he added proudly. “It was a well-played team game and I really thought that our second group came out and gave us a huge lift in the third and fourth quarters.”
The defending champion Tropang Texters, who missed the services of the injured Jimmy Alapag, dropped to 8-5 despite getting 20 fourth quarter points from Mac Cardona, who eventually finished with 31. Alapag, one of the finest guards in the league today, pulled a hamstring in practice last week and is listed as day-to-day, a severe blow to the campaign of the Texters in shooting for one of two outright Final Four berths.
Reynel Hugnatan, Jeffrey Cariaso and John Ferriols took turns in coming up with the baskets that kept Alaska in the game before Tenorio and former two-time MVP Willie Miller delivered in the stretch.
Talk ‘N Text had a 106-100 lead heading into the final 60 seconds after Cardona made a triple. And it looked like the Texters would go all the way until Miller caught fire.
The 6-foot Miller, who owns the only triple double game in the tournament, finished with 22 points, had clutch conversions as the Aces pulled level at 106 before Cardona gave the Texters the lead for the last time with a running jumper with 8.3 seconds left.
Sonny Thoss then missed giving the Aces the lead by flubbing a reverse layup before a jumpball in the final 1.1 seconds was ruled by the referees.
Dela Cruz won the tap and wisely called for time with four-tenths of a second remaining, which enabled Cone to draw up the game-tying play.
Sta. Lucia also got a big lift from a small man later, when Josh Urbiztondo, an undrafted rookie, sizzled for 22 points in leading the Realtors to a 93-88 decision of crowd-darling Barangay Ginebra.
Ranged against an all-time great in Johnny Abarrientos, the 5-foot-7 Urbiztondo was at his best and the Realtors benefited greatly as they stayed in the hunt toward an automatic quarterfinal berth with a 7-5 card.
“We prepared his frame of mind,” Sta. Lucia coach Boyet Fernandez said of his rookie, whom he deliberately matched up against Abarrientos. “We told him to give the utmost respect to Johnny outside the court, but not when inside it.
“I just told him to play hard, which he did.”
Urbiztondo scored 10 of his total in the fourth period as the Gin Kings, champions here two years ago, dropped into a tie for third with the Texters and idle Purefoods.
Aside from four triples, Urbiztondo also canned four charities inside the final 24 seconds as the Realtors kept their mastery of the Kings in the tournament with the repeat win, though this one was far from the 93-72 victory they had in the first round.
“It was a big win that got us close to the leaders. We intend to continue to work hard and see what happens,” said Fernandez.
The Realtors were down, 84-85 before Nelbert Omolon, Joseph Yeo and Urbiztondo combined for seven unanswered points that had them taking a 91-85 bubble which they never lost.
Marlou Aquino made contributions defensively, taking out Eric Menk in the endgame after the Ginebra big man had tossed in 16 points against Gabby Espinas and Jason Misolas.
Menk, who won the MVP several years back, had 12 points in the fourth quarter, with his last basket giving Ginebra that one-point lead.
