Roadkings catch last trip to semis

Toyota Balintawak, losing twice to Burger King the last five days, won the game that mattered most as the Roadkings blasted the Whoppers, 76-50, yesterday to clinch the fourth and last semifinal slot in the PBL Unity Cup at the Olivarez Sports Center.

Eugene Tan provided the leadership while Marvin Cruz delivered the big baskets for the Roadkings, who rode on a telling second quarter run to turn what had appeared to be a close do-or-die contest into a runaway victory.

“We took advantage of Eugene’s championship experience and that helped us a lot,” said coach Ariel Vanguardia. “Eugene responded to our challenge.”

The win sent Toyota Balintawak into a best-of-three series with No. 1 seed Cebuana Lhuillier Pera Padala at the start of the semis tomorrow, also at The Arena.

Defending champion Harbour Centre battles Henkel-Sista in the other semis encounter.

The Batang Pier, gunning for a third straight championship, finished the elims at No. 2 with a 10-2 card, while the Super Sealers closed out with a 6-6 card behind a fiery finish.

Tan, at 29 one of the most experienced players in the league, orchestrated the team’s play patterns with clockwork precision while scoring all his eight points in the first half, including a triple in a scorching 12-2 run that gave the Roadkings a 36-14 lead.

The Whoppers never recovered from that big Toyota blitz and they fell behind by as many as 23 points, 41-64, as Cruz, atoning for his mediocre game the last time out, came through with seven straight points.

Cruz and Floyd Dedicatoria shared the scoring honors for the Roadkings with 14 apiece. Joe Devance also redeemed himself from a disappointing showing in his first four games with the team by posting a double-double performance of 10 points and 12 rebounds.

Devance, who also had two shot blocks, shackled JR Quiñahan on the other end.

The 6-foot-5 Quinahan had a fiery start of eight of the team’s first 12 points.

 but he rode the bench majority of the second quarter where the Roadkings broke away from a tight 12-all count at the end of the first period en route to a 36-19 lead at the turn.

The Roadkings finished with a respectable 47 percent shooting norm from the field, making 14 of 30 tries, while the Whoppers were held to 7-of-33 attempts for a dismal 21 percent showing.