MANILA, 9 June 2008 — Red Bull had one full week to prepare against powerhouse Magnolia.
After last night, it was obvious that the Barako spent those seven days well.
Red Bull peeled away from a two-point game at the half, wresting complete control in the third before cruising to an 84-75 victory over the Beverage Masters that allowed the Barako to keep their piece of the Fiesta Cup lead at the Araneta Coliseum last night.
Cyrus Baguio scored 16 points, Celino Cruz added 15 and Adam Parada had 13 points and 14 rebounds in Red Bull’s second straight win which allowed the Barako to keep in step with Coca-Cola at 9-5. The Tigers, getting the goods from their small import who was supposed to be in sick bay, came charging back from as many as 12 points down at the start of the fourth quarter to hammer out a 103-96 decision of Talk ‘N Text in the first game. Donald Copeland, only after repeated pleas to his coach, came off the bench for the first time in his PBA career and churned out his worthiest game, capping a 19-point outburst with a triple with 1:07 to go that sealed the Tigers’ similar 9-5 card. Magnolia and the Phone Pals both dropped to even 7-7 slates and out of the top four at the moment. “We are happy with the defense we played tonight,” said coach Yeng Guiao of Red Bull. “Limiting them (Beverage Masters) to 75 points was a victory in itself.
Red Bull jumped out of the gates hard in the second half and its stingy defense held the high-profile Beverage Masters to just 12 third quarter points as the Barako zoomed to leads of as many as 17 points. It was all Red Bull from there as the best that Magnolia could do was cut down several imposing deficits to six after a Jonas Villanueva triple made it 75-81 with 65 seconds left to play. But that would also prove to be the last basket that the Beverage Masters would score as their chances of making the semifinals outright again suffered a serious dent despite coming into the game as one of the hotter teams in the tournament.
So ineffective was Magnolia on the offensive end that Jameel Watkins and Olsen Racela’s 13 points were enough to be a team high. Magnolia missed Dondon Hontiveros for the third straight game, while Danny Seigle played just two minutes because of various leg injuries.
Copeland, meanwhile, insisted on playing despite a slight thigh injury, hitting nine of his total in the second period to keep the enemy within range before finishing off the Phone Pals with that dagger three.
“Up until after practice yesterday, he wasn’t supposed to go and play,” said Coca-Cola coach Binky Favis.
Favis added. Instead, when I finally tried putting him in, he played his best game (in the PBA) so far. The 5-foot-9 former Seton Hall University standout, Copeland, came into the game averaging just 14.3 points on 32% shooting. It was his first time to come off the bench. And he made sure that it would be worth it. That triple gave the Tigers a 100-96 lead, and it was actually his second straight basket, as the first, a jumper from right quarter court, came less than a minute earlier which shoved the Tigers ahead to stay, 97-96. Alex Cabagnot also played big as he tied his career high 21 points on 7-for-14 shooting. Cabagnot, the second pick overall by Sta. Lucia in the 2005 Rookie Draft, grabbed five rebounds and issued two assists.
Mac Cardona led Talk ‘N Text with a near triple double of 24 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Aaron McGhee, in playing for the last time for the Phone Pals, added 15 points and 11 rebounds.
McGhee will be replaced by the well-traveled Terrence Leather, a 6-foot-9 center who last played for the Seoul Samsung Tigers team in the Korean Basketball League (KBL).
