MANILA, 4 February 2008 - Teams who had their backs to the wall won in contrasting fashion and put the semifinal series of the PBA Philippine Cup where it started - ground zero.
Red Bull came charging back in regulation to rip Purefoods in overtime, 97-88, before Alaska almost blew a 26-point lead in hammering out a 93-80 win over Sta. Lucia for 2-2 deadlocks last night at the Cuneta Astrodome.
The Barako held the Tender Juicy Giants scoreless until the final 28 seconds of extension to fashion out the win, which was aided somewhat by James Yap being pulled out after just 10 minutes because of a slightly bruised knee.
"Swerte lang kami (we were lucky)," said Red Bull coach Yeng Guiao after the intense game. "Sometimes, one team has to give. And fortunately for us, it was them (Giants) who broke down first. I just told the boys to hang in there." Red Bull got a huge break in the series-tying win with the 2006 MVP Yap hitting the bench after 10 first quarter points after a freak collision left his left knee inflamed. Team officials, though, said that Yap will be available for the crucial fifth game on Wednesday.
"I was surprised he (Yap) didn't return," said Guiao as not even replays showed how the 6-foot-2 swingman got the injury.
Regulation ended at 86-all after Cyrus Baguio slashed the middle and scored on a layup with 1.3 seconds remaining, ending a long scoreless spell for both teams after Kerby Raymundo had moved the Giants ahead, 86-84, with a jumper with 64 seconds left.
And the clincher came in overtime, as Celino Cruz connected on a trey, Baguio hit two free throws and after consecutive missed by Raymundo from three-point range, Francis Adriano scored on a triple that sealed the outcome, 94-86.
Then came the meaningless basket from Peter June Simon with 23 seconds left. Baguio finished with 20 points built on an 8-of-8 clip from the free-throw line, while Adriano added 16 points. Cruz had 13 while Junthy Valenzuela contributed 12. Marc Pingris and Raymundo each scored 14 for the Giants, who again outrebounded the Bulls, 60-41, but couldn't get the job done this time with Yap riding the bench. Rookie Chico Lanete added 13 but committed two turnovers in overtime. Even with Yap on the bench, Purefoods was still a tough cookie, holding the Barako to a 66-all tie entering the final period even if the Giants were held to 10 measly points in the second quarter.
Alaska, meanwhile, jumped out of the gates hard and looked poised to putting the game away early. That was until the Realtors regained their wits and slowly made a game out of it, almost erasing a 37-11 deficit with a torrid display of outside shooting.
The Realtors, who won the last two games of the series after opening up with a lopsided loss, crept to two in the third quarter, only to be scuttled in the final period by Willie Miller. The Alaska ace, the reigning MVP, hit consecutive triples to open up fourth quarter action and douse cold water on the Sta. Lucia rally. The 5-foot-10 guard finished with 27 points after winding up with just three combined points in the fourth quarters of the last two games.
"My hat's off to them," Alaska coach Tim Cone, who continued not to shake the hand of Boyet Fernandez, his Sta. Lucia counterpart, told reporters. "They did a good job in coming back, and that's proof of how tough that team is." The Realtors got to within 60-62 on a free throw by Marlou Aquino with 10:08 left in the final frame, but Miller hit those back-to-back three-pointers that gave his team a 68-60 lead, 9:12 to go.
Sta. Lucia threatened last when Kelly Williams made a triple and Aquino added a lay-up, 74-78, but Sonny Thoss ignited a 10-0 run highlighted by Jeffrey Cariaso's triple for an 88-74 lead with 2:20 left.
