MANILA, 27 August — Red Bull, rising to the task of pulling out a big game at a time when big shots are a must, turned back San Miguel Beer, 83-80, in Game Two last night to come to within a victory of nailing down a finals berth in the Samsung PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.
Red Bull coach Yeng Guiao said that win will come in tomorrow’s Game Three. "I think they’ve tried everything to beat us. They even tried to take off Tony Lang’s head. I think we’re going to finish it on Wednesday. We don’t want to compound things by prolonging this series," said Guiao.
The incident Guiao was talking of was the halftime melee that added another page to the brewing rivalry between both teams. Tony Lang, following an explosive second quarter where he scored 13 of his 32 points, was choked by Terquin Mott at halftime just outside the teams’ locker room, igniting a chain reaction that sucked in, among others, Talk ‘N’ Text coach Bill Bayno and Beermen assistant coach Art dela Cruz.
As in the semifinals opener which Red Bull won, the on-court action again took a back seat to the sideline histrionics and, now, the halftime events.
According to those who witnessed the melee, just as the Thunder were making their way to the dugout which was across that of the Beermen’s, Mott, who threw the ball at Lang’s head in the second quarter, went after the Red Bull import and wrapped a big hand around Lang’s slender neck.
An unidentified San Miguel fan, reportedly Mott’s younger brother, appeared to have helped pin Lang against the wall, Big Dome security said.
Then, as the two Americans were being separated, Red Bull coach Yeng Guiao and Dela Cruz, Siot Tanquincen’s assistant, exchanged furious words, extending their on court verbal battle from Friday.
It was at this point, apparently, that Bayno joined the fray, shouting that he had seen Mott choke Lang.
Apparently irked, Dela Cruz pushed Bayno away. Talk ‘N’ Text import Jerald Honeycutt and assistant coach Ariel Vanguardia stepped in to restrain Bayno, who reacted angrily to the shove.
"That was a barbaric act and he (Mott) should be jailed for it. It’s a nice series between two good teams and it’s too bad it had to go this way because of some people who can’t control themselves," said Guiao.
Red Bull demanded that Mott be banished in the second half, but the Commissioner’s Office withheld action until it has consulted with FIBA authorities, the conference being run under amateur rules.
Julius Nwosu added 13 points, including a key jumper late in the fourth quarter, and Willie Miller had 10, nailing a big three-point shot in the closing minutes.
Davonn Harp grabbed 12 rebounds and although the Thunder surrendered a slight edge under the boards, they picked up 19 points from 16 San Miguel turnovers.
Shea Seals had 23 points and Mott, who picked up his fourth foul — a technical — even before the second half started when he failed to inform table officials he was checking in, added 19, getting smothered on a key possession in the dying seconds.
Red Bull shot 11 of 20 from 3-point range, while the Beermen went 12 of 26 in a game where both teams displayed torrid outside shooting.
The Beermen, however, are faced with a must sweep of the last three games of the playoffs, a feat no team has accomplished in 14 previous semifinal series.
Even though Red Bull lost a 15-point, 38-23 second quarter lead and a 72-59 spread in the fourth, the Thunder remained composed and focused on the game.
San Miguel took the upperhand, for the first time, at 57-55, three minutes left in the third period when Nic Belasco hit a jumper, highlighting the Beermen pouncing on Red Bull’s scoring lull spanning four minutes. But that was the best the Beermen could muster. Lang tied it with a semi-hook, and Lordy Tugade drained back-to-back three-pointers as the Thunder closed out the third quarter enjoying a 63-57 advantage.
Jimwell Torion hit a baseline jumper and the Thunder again threatened to tear the game wide open with a 13-point lead 72-59 with 7:53 left in the game.
But San Miguel went on a 9-0 run, 68-72, only to be frustrated once more by a triple from Lang, 75-68. And although the Beermen knocked down two straight field goals, Willie Miller made his presence felt with a banked three-point shot to make it 78-72.
The Beermen still had one chance to pull it off when Belasco sank a triple 77-80. But Davonn Harp played a magnificent defense on Mott and Mott himself committed a passing error to Shea Seals that sandwiched a backing violation by Julius Nwosu.
Miller was fouled and trooped to the line. He made his first shot but muffed the second, but the rebound went to Tugade, who was fouled again. Tugade bungled both shots but Nwosu grabbed the board once more and this time made sure of both charities. Seals sealed the final count with a triple.
Later in the night, Talk ‘N’ Text, bucking the ejection of coach Bill Bayno in the third quarter, took a similar 2-0 lead in the other semifinals series by turning back Alaska, 87-79. Jerald Honeycutt took control in the last five minutes, draining a big three-point shot that shattered a 72-72 count.
The Aces were never able to level after that with Honeycutt capping his performance by smothering a Johnny Williams attempt and stealing off Chris Carawell in the closing minute to seal the win. Assistant coach Ariel Vanguardia praised the team’s "locals for stepping up."
The scores: First game: Red Bull 83 — Lang 32, Nwosu 13, Miller 10, Tugade 9, Harp 7, Valenzuela 5, Torion 4, Hizon 3, Locsin 0.
San Miguel 80 — Seals 23, Mott 19, Lago 12, Victoria 9, Belasco 8, Peña 6, Mente 3, Gamboa 0. Quarterscores: 26-15, 46-41, 63-58, 83-80.
Second Game: Talk ‘N’ Text 87 — Honeycutt 35, Mickeal 22, Belano 10, Demape 8, Telan 6, Evans 6, Pablo 0, Fran 0, Lago 0. Alaska 79 — Williams 27, Carrawell 20, Arigo 13, Allado 11, Santos 5, Duat 3, Feihl 0, Ordonio 0, Lastimosa 0. Quarterscores: 18-27, 44-42, 61-63, 87-79.
