MANILA: Kerby Raymundo had the game’s most electrifying moves and Rafi Reavis provided the slams on a night when Japeth Aguilar was supposed to shine — and failed.
The duo led Purefoods to a masterful 93-80 conquest of Burger King at the start of the Philippine Cup Sunday night, reducing the celebrated — and controversial — No. 1 Draft choice to shambles in his maiden professional game at the Araneta Coliseum. Raymundo scored 11 of his 19 points in the first half when the Tender Juicy Giants broke away, and Reavis finished with 14 markers and 20 boards in performances that far outweighed the 10-point, nine-rebound effort of Aguilar for the Whoppers.
It was the most lopsided season-opening loss by any team since the 1999 game between Mobiline and Tanduay, where Asi Taulava led the Phone Pals to a 90-64 destruction of Eric Menk and Tanduay.
“To be honest, I did not put so much emphasis on Japeth opting to play for Burger King (at the last minute),” youthful Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio said. “I just told the team that we just have to get things done, to do what we prepared for in the off-season.”
Aguilar signed a one-year contract to play with the Whoppers just hours before the opening ceremonies, ending a long holdout that stemmed over differences with coach Yeng Guiao, who also handled him in the National team recently.
Though he performed way below expectations, Aguilar still drew the respect of Gregorio, but not a huge portion of the fans who watched the inaugurals which aired its displeasure of Aguilar every time he touched the ball.
“Obviously, he can make that team go,” Gregorio said. “It just might take time, though.” Booed most of the night, the 6-foot-10 Western Kentucky University alumnus made just two field goal attempts and missed four of 10 charity tries even as talk was loud inside the venue that he would be traded after just one game with the Whoppers.
Raymundo was very offensive-minded early, attacking the hoop almost every time he had the ball and taking Aguilar, his teammate in the National team, to school.
The former Letran ace in the NCAA can now do that with a lineup that was drastically revamped in the off-season, as he now has the supporting cast that would take a lot of the rebounding load off his shoulders, Reavis being one of them.
His three-point play off Aguilar late in the second quarter opened up a 45-22 lead for the Giants, who would go on to lead by as many as 26 and not give the Whoppers any chance to mount a comeback. Rico Maierhofer, the former La Salle mainstay in the UAAP who was chosen by the Giants behind Aguilar, had nine points and eight rebounds in a starting role for Gregorio. “It’s always nice to win the first game. At least for this particular game, we were witnesses to a game where the wheeling and dealing in the off-season worked,” Gregorio said.
Peter June Simon came off the bench as always and gave the Giants a spark from there, finishing with 17 markers in just 21 minutes, while James Yap, a former MVP, scattered 12 points despite hitting just 1-of-6 attempts from beyond three-point range. Chico Lanete, an acquisition from Barangay Ginebra, paced the Whoppers with 14 markers and four assists, while Gary David, on whose shoulders fell most of the offensive load for Burger King after it dealt Arwind Santos to San Miguel, had just 13.
