Otis Sparks sweep Toyota cage tourney

MANILA, Philippines - The Toyota Otis Sparks fought back from eight points down to turn back the Toyota Balintawak Thunders, 69-64, and complete a sweep of the Toyota Financial Services Philippines basketball tournament at the Old San Juan gym recently.

Rainier Cabrera and Joel Batu combined for 37 points as the Sparks took charge in the third quarter after trailing by as many as eight points in the first half.

Cabrera went on to bag the MVP honors for the second straight year while powering the Sparks, managed by their principal dealer Reginaldo Oben, to their fourth straight championship in the annual tournament hosted by Toyota Financial Services for Toyota dealers in the country.

Manny Borbe tried to rally the Thunders, managed by Oben’s son Don Juan Miguel, in the fourth in a bid to force a winner-take-all match in their best-of-three series but the Sparks hung tough in the clutch to pound out the victory.

Earlier, the Alabang Panthers trounced Team Manila Bay, 72-61, to claim third place honors.

Joining Cabrera in the Mythical team are Batu, also a two-time MVP, Borbe, Toyota Manila Bay’s RJ Razon and Toyota Alabang’s Dante Piodo.