James Yap delivers 'Big Game' explodes with season-high 30 points as B-Meg closes in on PBA title

CEBU, Philippines - James Yap showed why he's nicknamed 'Big Game'.

The prolific shooter from Escalante, Negros Occidental charted a tournament-high 30 points as the B-Meg Llamados zapped the Talk 'N Txt Tropang Texters in Game 5, 82-66, to move one win away from clinching the championship of 37th PBA Commissioner's Cup last night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.Hardworking import Denzel Bowles was also a class of his own, banging in 28 points as the Llamados of coach Tim Cone took a pivotal 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven finals series. They could wrap up the title with a victory in Friday's Game 6 still at the Big Dome.

Yap, who also pulled down nine rebounds, shot a perfect 4-of-4 from the 3-point land, spotlighted by a buzzer-beating hit that pushed B-Meg ahead by six, 59-53, at the end of the third quarter.

The Llamados then greeted the final period with a 5-0 bang to post the first double-digit lead of the night, 64-53, which they padded into 72-59, with five minutes left to play.

After Donnell Harvey executed a thunder slam to end Talk 'N Txt's scoring drought, Yap sank his fourth 3-pointer and later Bowles unloaded seven straight points capping a 10-2 blitz that handed B-Meg its biggest lead of 18 points, 82-64, at the final 1:34 of the contest.

The Tropang Texters could only afford two more points from there as the Llamados cruised smoothly to the most lopsided victory of the series, thanks to B-Meg's other heroes in the mold of Marc Pingris and Yancy de Ocampo.— EBV (FREEMAN)