MANILA, 29 June 2006 — This one could make it all worth it.
Red Bull, a day after being fined more than P.5 million, took the floor with so much hunger and desire and brought down rock-solid San Miguel, 107-101 last night, to move within another victory of making the PBA Philippine Cup title series. The Barako also played with much composure, not showing signs of the team that almost resorted into a childish act three nights ago by taking the best that the Beermen could offer and winning out.
“We used Sunday’s incident as a rallying point,” said mercurial Red Bull coach Yeng Guiao, who was fined P100,000 as part of the total penalty that amounted to P507,000.
Rookie Larry Fonacier, Enrico Villanueva and the steadiest Barako all season long - Lordy Tugade — hit the baskets that mattered for Red Bull in the second half. Fonacier, easily one of the smartest players in the league today, hit a career-high 24 markers, highlighting his night with crucial free throws down the stretch that silenced the last of several San Miguel rallies.
Tugade chipped in with 19 markers, Villanueva added 15, and Junethy Valenzuela and rookie Paolo Bugia made it five players in double digits for Guiao by shooting 12 and 10, respectively. The victory also put Guiao closer towards appearing in the title series of the tournament he has never won before — an all-local championship. Guiao’s four league championships all came with imports — with Tony Harris and Ronnie Thompkins while with defunct Swift, and with Antonio Lang and James Penny with the Photokina franchise.
And the outspoken mentor certainly has the itch to go all the way this time. Danny Seigle extended his record string of 20-plus points a game to 17 after shooting 27 to pace San Miguel. Dorian Pena added 17 and Danny Ildefonso 16.
Guiao was fined P100,000 by commissioner Noli Eala on Tuesday for instigating a near-walkout Sunday night in a 114-98 victory by the Beermen. The team also got it in the neck after being slapped with a P400,000 penalty by Eala.
Meanwhile, former league legal counsel Butch Cleofe, in a statement released to the media yesterday, deplored Eala’s decision of fining Red Bull the astronomical amount, saying that the team was already levied a penalty during the game.
When Guiao called for time with 2:06 to go in the second quarter on Sunday, and ordered the entire team back to the locker room, game officials already slapped the team with two technical fouls for delaying the game. It is this reason why Cleofe, who was legal counsel for more than 11 years, came up with the statement.
Fighting hard to extend its season, Purefoods, meanwhile, threw a defensive blanket on Alaska and pruned the Aces’ lead to 3-2 in their separate semifinal series after an 85-74 victory also at the Araneta Coliseum. The Chunkee Giants held the Aces to below 80 points for the second time in their series, both translated into victories, to mathematically stay in the hunt for a berth in the best-of-seven title series opposite the Barako or the Beermen. James Yap scored 20 points and led all Purefoods shooters, which rose to the challenge when the team’s talented frontline got into foul trouble early. Game 6 of both series is scheduled tomorrow at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay.
