MANILA: There was a desire in the way Coca-Cola played Friday night, something which Purefoods didn’t possibly have when it mattered.
The Tigers are growling again, coming back from 15 points down in the third period to pound out a 93-79 decision of the Tender Juicy Giants in the PBA Philippine Cup eliminations at the Araneta Coliseum.
Coca-Cola erased a 43-58 third quarter deficit and then bombarded the suddenly lackluster Giants in the fourth period to win for the first time in four games and get the monkey off its back, so to speak.
“It’s always tough trying to win the first game,” said Coca-Cola coach Kenneth Duremdes during the winning coach’s interview. “Hopefully, we could carry the momentum of this win to our next games.”
Purefoods slumped to its second loss in four outings after being outscored - heavily - in the fourth period, 32-12, as the Tender Juicy Giants missed grabbing a piece of second place heading into a break this weekend.
“I think the players just refused to lose,” Duremdes added. “They played with so much desire out there today that it is incumbent upon coaching staff to make them play that way again in the next games to come.”
Norman Gonzales and Wesley Gonzales each hit three triples and the veteran Dennis Espino provided the leadership all game, especially in the final two frames which proved to be the telling stretch.
Espino wound up with 15 points and eight rebounds. His biggest basket came at the 4:18 mark - a tight short stab - that capped an 11-2 run which made a 69-71 deficit into an 80-73 lead heading into the final 4:18.
James Yap’s 15 was the best Purefoods score, and the former MVP was held to just a free throw in the fourth and to six in the entire second half. Kerby Raymundo had 13 markers and Nino Canaleta 12 for the Giants.
Another key factor in the Coca-Cola victory was the way the Tigers kept their mistakes to the minimum.
Coming into the game averaging a league-worst 27.7 blunders a game, the Tigers turned the ball over just 14 times last night and were practically error-free in the stretch when they cut the Giants down to size.
Sta. Lucia rose to 3-1 and tied idle Talk ‘N Text and Barangay Ginebra in second spot after getting a career-high 24 points from rookie Joshua Urbiztondo in a 101-93 victory over Burger King in the nightcap.
Urbiztondo hit all of his points in the first three periods, grabbing the playing time given him by coach Boyet Fernandez, who shifted Ryan Reyes to the No. 2 spot and allowed his 5-foot-9 rookie to quarterback.
“We included Josh (Urbiztondo) in the rotation because Ryan (Reyes) is so injury prone,” Fernandez said. “We made Ryan play the off-guard spot and it yielded great results for us.
“It’s temporary, of course,” Fernandez said when asked if Urbiztondo will be the starting point guard from now on. “But if he can continue to give us games like that, then why not?”
Reyes still went on to finish with 15 points, five rebounds and six assists, while Dennis Daa chipped in with 15 coming off the bench.
But the real story for the Realtors would have to be Urbiztondo, who came into the game having scored just eight combined points in his first three games as a pro. Last night, he had eight points in the second quarter alone and already 15 for the first half.
Gary David paced the Whoppers with 23 points, with Ronjay Buenafe adding 17.
Burger King trailed, 40-54 at the half but was able to make a game out of it in the fourth period, coming within 83-87 because of the efforts of David and Buenafe only to succumb to the superior firepower packed by the Realtors.
Chico Lanete scored 12 and Carlo Sharma had 11 for the Whoppers, who are now at 1-3.
