MANILA, 22 December 2007 — Red Bull likes to run, Welcoat loves the set-up. In the end, the team that played its character best came out on top.
Fresh from their worst loss in the season, the Bulls returned to double their average on fastbreak points to deal the Dragons their eighth straight loss, scoring a 106-97 win and remaining in solo second spot in the Smart-PBA Philippine Cup last night at the Cuneta Astrodome.
The team that has surprised everyone by staying in the upper half of the standings for quite this long came away with 30 points on the run to Welcoat’s 2, and the Bulls registered their ninth win in 14 games to remain on course for one of two outright berths in the Final Four.
The tally Red Bull posted on fastbtreak points was way beyond the 15.8 average it scored in its first 13 games, and it also proved to be the lift it needed in a game where it had to show how able it could recover from an embarrassing setback.
The Bulls lost to the Sta. Lucia Realtors 78-104 on Dec. 14, had a week’s rest, and vented their ire on a pathetic Welcoat team that only shot 34.8 percent from the field (32-of-92).
Coach Yeng Guiao certainly was relieved to get the victory to cover-up the humiliation Red Bull suffered to the Realtors, but doesn’t feel any comfort at all in the Bulls’ drive to secure a semis berth.
“I think the game against Alaska on Christmas Day would be the key,” said Guiao. “We want to keep our No. 2 spot as much as possible, and if we win against the Aces, it would give us the edge against the rest even if we have three more games left in the eliminations.”
Purefoods, which won its first seven games in the season-opening tournament a franchise-best - still shows the way with an 11-3 (win-loss) record. Sta. Lucia, Alaska and Talk ‘N Text are the three other teams making runs at outright Final Four slots with 8-6 slates.
After missing three of Red Bull’s last three games because of chicken pox, Cyrus Baguio returned to score 15 points aside from pulling down five rebounds and dishing off two assists.
It was the smallest man on the court, though, who had a big role for the Bulls.
Topex Robinson similarly collected 15 points and five rebounds, but had five assists, a steal and a block with only one turnover in 28 minutes of action and was the man who orchestrated much of Red Bull’s running offense.
Only Magnum Membrere failed to score for Red Bull. Nine others scored at least five points for Red Bull.
For the Dragons, it’s just getting worse.
Not only did the Dragons tie the longest losing streak in the conference (the other one was Coca-Cola), but the setback likewise made them endangers species, on the verge of again of being the first team to be eliminated for the third straight conference.
The night, however, belonged to a rookie.
Ronjay Buenafe completed a three-point play in the last 9.1 seconds as Coca-Cola won for the fifth straight time, nipping Ginebra 84-82. Asi Taulava was held to only 10 points - his lowest since becoming a Tiger - but had a career-high tying and conference-best 26 rebounds.
“It was a big time play,” said Coca-Cola coach Binky Favis of Buenafe’s basket, which came through via an isolation play at the left flank and with Sunday Salvacion as defender.
“He may be a rookie, but he’s playing big,” added Favis.
Shortly after getting up from the hard foul he got from Salvacion, Buenafe pointed to the stands where his parents were located, as if trying to convey that he surely has what it takes to be in the big league. The Gin Kings had the chance to tie the game, but Ronald Tubid bungled the first of his two free throws with 1.8 seconds left. Ginebra called for time to devise a game-tying play, but the deliberate miss was rebounded by Cesar Catli. With the victory, the Tigers improved to a 6-8 record, while the Gin Kings dropped to 6-9 with the setback. Coca-Cola now occupies seventh spot while Ginebra slipped to eighth position.
Buenafe went on to finish with 13 points — his last three the only points he scored in the fourth quarter - with Alex Cabagnot leading the Tigers with 17.
Salvacion had 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Gin Kings, who played without their main scoring option Mark Caguioa because of an injury.
