Knights near MBA title as Reavis shines

Rafi Reavis canned four straight points from the foul line as Andok’s San Juan foiled Negros, 76-70, last night and moved within a win of clinching the MBA First Phase crown at the packed San Juan Gym.

The 6-foot-8 Reavis first made all three charities off a foul committed with the Blitz Three period, then made the front of two more free throws that enabled the Knights to brush aside the Knights’ Game Three challenge and take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series.

The reigning national titlist Knights can end the playoffs with another win tomorrow at the same venue. If the Slashers manage to steal Game 4, then the series returns to Bacolod City for the final game.

That’s exactly what the Knights are trying to avoid.

Complementing Reavis’ heroics down the stretch was Chito Victolero, who ably orchestrated San Juan’s plays in the fourth quarter as the Knights razed a four-point deficit and forced a seesaw affair.

Reavis wound up with 14 points, 14 rebounds, two assists and one steal to share best player of the game honors with Victolero, who finished with nine points, including seven in the fourth quarter, six rebounds, four assists and one steal.

San Juan was barely ahead, 70-67, when Reavis was sent to the 15-foot line with 1 minute and 31 seconds left. The Fil-American hit all his charities.

"I knew the game was on the line and I had to make those freethrows," said Reavis. The win was a brilliant follow-up to San Juan’s 86-72 conquest of Negros, which leveled the series at 1-1 in Bacolod.

It also showed the mental toughness of the Knights who watched as the Slashers rallied from 13 points down to wrest the lead at 47-46.

Dennis Madrid shone on the offensive end in that span, capping their 16-2 blast with a triple, while Ruben dela Rosa stood out on defense.

No foul was called on the Knights in the second quarter as against the ten fouls assessed on the Slashers. That situation led to seven charities for the Knights in that span.