Thunder roll to fifth win in row

CEBU – Red Bull’s backcourt rotation again dished out a splendid job and, with Talk N Text fouling up from the foul line, the Thunder roared to a fifth straight win with a 94-88 victory in a Samsung PBA All-Filipino Cup road game at the Cebu Coliseum here last night.

Willie Miller and Cebuano guards Jimwell Torion and Junthy Valenzuela showed up their Talk N Text counterparts, negating another double-double outing by 6-foot-8 behemoth Asi Taulava as the Thunder solidified their hold of the lead in Group B on a sixth win in seven games in all.

Miller and Torion combined for 37 points, including crucial free throws down the stretch, as they outperformed the Phone Pals at the stripe, leading the Thunder to the searing come-from-behind win.

The Phone Pals wasted a 13-point lead in the third quarter and eventually suffered their third loss against the same number of wins as they missed 14 of 31 free throws. The Thunder, on the other hand, went 25-of-32 from the lane.

Taulava alone muffed five charities in the last four minutes of play.

Talk N Text was still ahead by nine at 82-73 entering the final five minutes before reeling from the pressures and muffing strings of charities.

Red Bull surged ahead to stay at 88-86 as Mick Pennisi drew a key foul from Taulava and buried two foul shots with time down to 50 seconds.

Meanwhile, FedEx seeks to firm up its hold of the Group A leadership, gunning for a fifth straight win as it tackles slumping Barangay Ginebra at the resumption of action at the Araneta Coliseum.

Coca-Cola and Alaska Milk square off in the other game, both hoping to check an alarming skid to stay in the upper-half of the chart in their respective groups. The Tigers have fallen to second place in Group B following two straight losses while the Aces slid to a share of second with the San Miguel Beermen in Group A following three successive defeats.