Bulls trip Pals; refs eject Yeng, TnT manager

TACLOBAN, Leyte — Red Bull went in full throttle after a near fight with Talk n Text in the second period, hacking out an emphatic 104-76 win that boosted its bid for playoffs top seeding here last night.

The Bulls kept their poise, confidence and spunk to the finish of a tumultuous match with the Phone Pals, chalking up a crucial win that moved them half-game behind joint leaders the Sta. Lucia Realtors and the Barangay Ginebra Kings in the Talk n Text PBA Philippine Cup.

Tension ran high twice at the Tacloban Convention Center, first, as Carlo Sharma and Asi Taulava figured in an altercation even as Talk n Text team manager Frankie Lim walked up to Red Bull coach Yeng Guiao for a more heated verbal tussle triggering a bench-emptying incident.

Sharma and Taulava drew technical fouls while Lim and Guiao were thrown out of the court after the commotion.

The Bulls went on a rampage at the resumption of play, taking a 51-41 halftime lead which they bloated to 78-61 after the third period.

Eight Red Bull players finished with at least eight points as the Bulls turned bullish after the incident and never let up on the Pals up to the end.

The Pals were so overwhelmed that they went scoreless in the last 2:13 of play.