Llamados toy with Express

MANILA, Philippines - B-MEG Derby Ace pounced on a struggling Air21, fashioning out an 83-71 rout in their road game in the 2010 PBA Fiesta Conference at the Panabo Multi-Purpose Center in Panabo, Davao del Norte last night.

The Llamados pummeled the Express in the first three quarters before relaxing a bit, giving import Cliff Brown and their other starters a breather in the final period.

Completing a lopsided win just the same, Derby Ace closed in on frontrunner San Miguel Beer (8-1) and second-running Talk n Text (7-2) with a 6-3 card.

The Beermen go for an eighth straight win as they play the Barako Energy Coffee Masters at the resumption of play at the Araneta Coliseum today.

Barangay Ginebra (5-4) and Sta. Lucia Realty (4-5) clash in the day’s other game, both looking to improve their record in the middle of the chart.

The Express slid deeper down the cellar as they absorbed an eighth successive defeat at the hands of the Llamados in their Panabo contest serving as another stop of the Phoenix Fuel PBA on Tour.

Air21 dropped to 1-9 overall.

Assistant coach Rhoel Nadurata called the shots for the Express as head coach Yeng Guiao attended to important matters in Pampanga where he’s been reelected as vice governor. Nadurata also ran but lost in a bid for a seat in the Caloocan city council.

Brown poured in 26 points as he starred in Derby Ace’s searing runs in the middle quarters that had the Llamados erecting a 23-point lead at 57-34.

Keeping an imposing margin of 69-47 at the end of the third period, coach Ryan Gregorio gave his starters a rest that gave the Express the opening to make a run of their own.

Clutch baskets by KG Canaleta, Rico Maierhofer and Marc Pingris, however, held off the Express.

James Yap contributed 10 points, Roger Yap chipped in nine while Pingris added nine for the Llamados who made it 4-0 over the Express in their head-on duels this season.

Reggie Larry paced the losing team with 16 points.