Great Bowles of fire

B-Meg import Denzel Bowles broke out of a three-game playoff slump where he averaged 16.7 points, down from 29.1 in the eliminations, and scored 28 to lead the Derby Ace Llamados to an 86-76 win over Meralco in Game 3 of their best-of-three quarterfinal duel in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last Sunday.

Before over 12,000 fans, Bowles proved he’s no choker as he personally took charge down the stretch in outshining the Bolts’ prized recruit Earl Barron who had dominated in Games 1 and 2. When it came to the final push, Bowles delivered and couldn’t be happier.

After towing the Llamados to the semifinals, Bowles was ecstatic. The league’s youngest import at 22 was chosen Best Player of the Game and interviewed on TV, excitedly related how he got the job done. A loss would’ve sent Bowles packing for home. Now, he advances to the semifinals where Jackson Vroman and Barangay Ginebra await his arrival.

If there was a choker in Game 3, it was Barron, not Bowles. The opposing imports logged 42 minutes apiece but Barron, 30, ran out of gas in the fourth period when Meralco bled for points. Barron went 0-of-7 from the field in the wind-up and chipped in only three of his 23 points in the final quarter. It was evident that local support failed to bail him out, what with MacMac Cardona coughing up only two points after hurting his right knee in the third stanza.

Bowles was all fired up in the do-or-die encounter. He came out blasting with guns blazing. When the smoke cleared, he had 27 field goal attempts (compared to Barron’s 21), five assists (Barron chalked up only one) and a single turnover (to Barron’s four). Bowles was clearly more efficient. He hit .444 from the floor and Barron, .333. From the line, Bowles was 4-of-5 and Barron, 9-of-12. Bowles entered the game shooting .667 from the stripe and raised his clip to .800.

It took three games for Bowles to resurrect from an anemic 12-point performance in B-Meg’s 93-84 playoff loss to Ginebra last March 30. That was the outing where Bowles shot only four points in the final period and wound up hitting 3-of-12 from the floor. He was outplayed by Vroman who logged five less minutes. In Game 1 of the quarterfinals, Bowles had another disappearing act in the fourth quarter, managing only two points in B-Meg’s 103-81 loss to Meralco. Bowles had four points in the last period of Game 2 which B-Meg won, 95-85, but it was teammate Marc Pingris who brought life back to the Llamados. Bowles, scoreless in the third period, netted 20. But last Sunday, there was no stopping Bowles who delivered 11 points in the last 12 minutes and sealed Meralco’s fate.

B-Meg coach Tim Cone waited until Game 3 to unveil his new lock-down backcourt defender Jonas Villanueva, finally back in form after ACL surgery. Villanueva presided in B-Meg’s defensive effort in a decisive fourth period stretch where Meralco went 0-of-16. Villanueva was matched up against Sol Mercado and is Cone’s answer to Roger Yap’s departure. It was only Villanueva’s third outing this season.

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Bowles gets a chance to vindicate himself against Vroman in their semifinals matchup that begins at the Ynares Center in Antipolo tomorrow. Game 2 will be on Friday at the Big Dome and Game 3 on Sunday at the Cuneta Astrodome.

B-Meg’s top local scorer James Yap failed to hit in double figures in Games 2 and 3 but the Llamados still found ways to win. “(James) had a team-high six assists in Game 2 and an incredible 10 rebounds in Game 3,” said Cone on twitter. “Scoring wasn’t important to him. James sometimes doesn’t get enough credit for the other things he does. More than scoring, he loves winning. He’ll do what it takes to win.”

Whether Ginebra guard Mark Caguioa will play for the Kings in the semifinals remains up in the air although it appears unlikely. Ginebra coach Siot Tanquingcen said Caguioa will be examined by an eye doctor today to determine if surgery is necessary to repair the slight fracture in the lower orbital socket under his right eye. PBA governor for Ginebra Robert Non confirmed today’s examination and said the initial finding of two of three ophthalmologists who previously checked the injury was no surgery may be necessary.

“An MRI on Mark was done before Holy Week and the doctors want his swelling and eye redness to subside,” said Tanquingcen. Caguioa banged his head on the floor after a fall during the B-Meg playoff game. At first, he thought he was elbowed. Ginebra assistant coach Allan Caidic said The Spark suffered two cuts on his right eyelid, one about 1 1/2 inches long and the other a half-inch. Neither cut was sewn up as they weren’t deep.

Before the B-Meg playoff game, Caguioa had scored in double figures in every game. Caguioa left the floor with only five points and although he wanted to check back in, he was restrained because of blurry vision. Non said his sight has since improved and a full visual recovery is expected.

In two games this conference, Ginebra and B-Meg split wins. B-Meg drew first blood, 109-93, in the eliminations last March 11 with Bowles scoring 27, Mark Barroca and P. J. Simon 18 each, Yap 15 and Josh Urbiztondo 12. Ginebra took the playoff game with K. G. Canaleta erupting for 25 and Mike Cortez and Vroman chipping in 15 apiece.

Cone is making a return to the semifinals for the first time since leading Alaska to the Final Four in the 2010 Fiesta Conference. “I’m incredibly proud of all the players for the fight they had in them,” said Cone on twitter, referring to the Llamados’ win over Meralco last Sunday. “They never got down, they never gave up. They made it happen.”

In the other semifinal pairing, Talk ‘N’ Text battles resurgent Barako Bull in Game 1 at the Ynares Center tonight. The Tropa hasn’t played since defeating Petron, 107-80, last March 28 and the Texters are well-rested for a physical series. Barako’s local rotation features nine players at least 30 years old but coach Junel Baculi likes the way his Senior Brigade is stepping up to the plate. The age groupers are Ronald Tubid, 30, Leo Najorda, 30, Jondan Salvador, 31, Don Allado, 34, Willie Miller, 34, Wynne Arboleda, 35, Danny Seigle, 35, Dorian Peña, 36, and Mick Pennisi, 37. Leading the charge for Barako is two-time Best Import awardee Gabe Freeman, 26.

Coach Chot Reyes’ squad finished the eliminations on top of the heap with a 7-2 record. The Texters are in the running for a Grand Slam and with Donnell Harvey in the mix, Reyes has an import who plays a complementary role and doesn’t mind sharing the spotlight.