MANILA: There’s another hot team in the PBA Philippine Cup.
Purefoods, after a roller-coaster run in the first round, won a third straight game Sunday night after getting a season-high 21 points from Roger Yap in an 89-81 victory over short-handed Barangay Ginebra at the Araneta Coliseum.
The Tender Juicy Giants — save for a few anxious moments — played with complete control over the Gin Kings as they created a three-way logjam at 7-4 for third spot with their victims and idle Talk ‘N Text.
Talk ‘N Text, the defending champion here, triumphed, 107-104 over upset-conscious Coca-Cola in General Santos Saturday night with Ali Peek playing big on both ends in the crunch. The Tigers dropped a seventh straight match and are now at 1-9.
This is now the longest streak that the Giants have, and it pleased coach Ryan Gregorio more since it came with a test of character after his boys had to ward off a late charge by the Gin Kings.
“It only goes to show that the team is coming around, is coming close to playing to its true potential,” Gregorio said.
“We just hope to be able to sustain the momentum of our past games and make a serious run at the leaders.”
Right now, Gregorio admitted, the target is to land a place in the top two and avoid any complications of playing in the quarterfinals. With the win, the Giants moved within striking distance of the leading Alaska Aces, who are 9-1, and San Miguel, which is at 9-2.
Interestingly, both squad lock horns on Wednesday.
Marc Pingris completed a three-point play with 90 seconds left off Willie Wilson for an 86-79 lead. And after Wilson split his charities on the other end for the Kings, Rafi Reavis scored on a put back of a James Yap miss to put the game to bed for Purefoods, 88-81, 48.6 to go.
Ginebra lost for the first time in three games, its lack in manpower finally telling as the Kings played catch-up practically the entire night.
Johnny Abarrientos, a former MVP who is now 39, again quarterbacked for the Kings in the absence of reigning MVP Jay-Jay Helterbrand and Celino Cruz and gunslinger Mark Caguioa.
Ronald Tubid, who scored at least 30 points in each of the last two Ginebra victories, was held to a harmless eight points by the Purefoods defense that paid close attention to him the whole night.
It was Cyrus Baguio who top scored for the Kings with 19 built around a 7-of-13 clip from the floor. Rookie Kevin White chipped in with 14, his finest performance as a pro, with Billy Mamaril scattering 10 for Ginebra.
Peter June Simon came off the bench, as usual, to shoot 14 for the Gianrs, who also got 13 from former MVP James Yap. Kerby Raymundo sat out a second straight game because of a bruised knee.
Meanwhile, Burger King arrested a two-game losing streak earlier with a 101-99 decision of Rain or Shine.
The Whoppers closed out with a 22-7 and erased a 13-point fourth quarter deficit in the final seven minutes, getting the goods from Ronjay Buenafe and Gary David in a wild-and-wooly endgame.
Burger King rose to 4-7 with the victory despite playing without coach Yeng Guiao from the final 7:44 of the second quarter on. Guiao was ejected after getting two technical fouls for vehemently arguing a call with game officials.
Buenafe stole off Gabe Norwood and scored on a lay-up which knotted the count at 99 before David hit two free throws with 3.1 seconds left that sealed the Burger King victory and denied Rain or Shine of a third straight win.
It was a painful loss for the Elasto Painters, who practically looked like they were celebrating early after taking a 92-79 lead with 7:29 to go.
Rain or Shine dropped to 3-8, in solo eighth spot.
“Hopefully, we could sustain this performance because we are in the bottom half of the standings,” Junel Baculi, the Burger King assistant, said.
“The only difference might have been the shuffling of players, otherwise, we played the system of coach Yeng.
“The plays and the systems were all Yeng’s, and of course, credit should go to the players for refusing to lose.”
