MANILA, 30 May 2003 — The San Miguel Beermen used three-point shots to come back into a game where they were nearly blown away and beat Talk ‘N’ Text, 106-102, in overtime in the first game.
“We felt that it would be nice to enter the quarterfinals on a winning note. We tried a few things but in the end, the players simply did their jobs,” said San Miguel coach Jong Uichico.
Key jump shots by Dondon Hontiveros, Boybits Victoria and Nic Belasco sealed the win for the Beermen in overtime, but it was Victoria who helped San Miguel come back from several double-digit deficits in the second half.
Belasco led San Miguel with 27 points and 11 rebounds, but it was Victoria who really put the Beermen back in the game as he shot six-of-12 from beyond the arc.
San Miguel’s zone defense stymied Talk ‘N’ Text in the fourth period and allowed the Beermen to escape with a seventh straight win, giving them the best winning streak going into the playoffs.
Coca-Cola also built a nice little winning streak of its own as it beat FedEx, 88-86, in what was a freethrow-shooting contest in the third period but ended up a battle of clutch shots in the last second.
Yancy de Ocampo hit a pair of triples under the final two minutes, including one with 1.8 seconds left as the Express had the Tigers trailing by a point, 85-86.
But off a timeout, Poch Juinio threw a perfect sideline inbounds to a curling Rafi Reavis, who stuffed in an alley-oop with 1.2 ticks and drawing a foul from Vergel Meneses in the process. Reavis made the free throw for the final score.
The league takes a break for the All-Star weekend, beginning with Friday’s reunion match between Toyota and Crispa.
Meanwhile, six players, including a second-time offender and two highly-paid superstars, were found to have failed the mandatory drug test conducted by the PBA recently and will be suspended indefinitely, commissioner Noli Eala announced yesterday.
San Miguel center Dorian Pe?a, who had been slapped a two-game suspension for marijuana use in the pre-season, Red Bull star Davonn Harp, Barangay Ginebra forward Jun Limpot, Talk ‘N’ Text backups Noli Locsin and Angelo David and FedEx slotman Ryan Bernardo all failed the test, according to Eala.
Three team utility men also failed the drug test. The league refused to name the substance found on the urine samples taken on the six players but sources said it wasn’t just marijuana, giving rise to speculations that use of higher-grade illegal substance, like shabu, is starting to be rampant in the league.
Pe?a had been ordered to undergo a one-year rehabilitation program. His case will only be reviewed by the league after he completes his rehab.
The mandatory testing on teams was held after Norman Gonzales of Talk ‘N’ Text tested positive for drug use. Before Gonzales, Red Bull’s Jimwell Torion, Ginebra’s Alex Crisano, along with Pe?a and Talk N Text center Asi Taulava also tested positive. The biggest surprise in the catch is Ginebra star Limpot who said he had never seen shabu before.
The Scores
San Miguel 106 - Belasco 27, Victoria 18, Ildefonso 15, Hontiveros 14, Gahol 12, Racela 10, Legaspi 4, Mente 4, Gamboa 2. Talk ‘N Text 102 - Taulava 31, Pablo 26, Alapag 12, Fran 9, Carey 7, Telan 7, Villa 4, Ravena 4, Manalo 0.
Coke 89 - Reavis 21, Cariaso 18, Hatfield 13, Wainwright 9, Morano 9, Avenido 8, Antonio 5, Hugnatan 4, Juinio 2, Abuda 0.
FedEx 87 - Meneses 20, De Ocampo 18, Ritualo 16, Feriols 10, Arboleda 8, Ejercito 7, Rodriguez 4, Codinera 4, Billiones 0, Ortiguerra 0.
