Llamados' Bermuda triangle

We all know about B-Meg’s triangle offense, the Tex Winter trademark that coach Phil Jackson made popular with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers and Derby Ace Llamados mentor Tim Cone employs to precision in the PBA.

But what about the triangle defense? It wasn’t exactly a three-point formation but Denzel Bowles, Marc Pingris and Joe DeVance anchored a tough backline that shut the door on Barangay Ginebra’s inside operators in B-Meg’s 108-84 win in Game 4 of their PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinal series at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last Tuesday. The victory clinched the best-of-five series and sent B-Meg into the finals which begin Monday.

With Kings import Jackson Vroman deferring to teammates instead of taking charge, B-Meg was largely unchallenged in controlling the interior. DeVance didn’t even need to help out in the rebounding chores as he floated in the wings on both ends. Bowles and Pingris took care of cleaning up the glass with 27 rebounds combined.

The triangle defense swallowed up Ginebra’s offense like a frightening undercurrent. It is said that airplanes and ships have mysteriously disappeared in the vicinity of the Bermuda Triangle on the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean. In the second quarter of Game 4, B-Meg did its best version of the Bermuda Triangle as Ginebra went scoreless for about seven minutes in a disappearing act that virtually decided the outcome.

After Nino Canaleta hit two free throws, B-Meg went on a scorching 19-0 juggernaut with Bowles contributing 12 markers. Mike Cortez broke the Kings’ silence with two free throws. In the second half, B-Meg leaned on three 7-0 blasts to put Ginebra away for good. The first surge came early in the third period after Canaleta buried a three. James Yap retaliated with a triple, Bowles escaped a double team to toss in a layup and Yap scored again to push B-Meg on top, 67-51. The second burst came in the middle of the quarter as P. J. Simon, Yap with another triple and J. C. Intal collaborated to make it 80-61. The final blow closed out the game as Josh Urbiztondo, Simon and DeVance settled the count.

* * * *

Vroman was a poor excuse for an import, fouling out with 5:56 to go. In five semifinal games, he failed to hit a single field goal in each fourth period. Vroman had no Mark Caguioa to bail him out and refused the go-to guy’s role. Worse, he was a bust on the line and went 0-of-7 in the last two contests. Bowles made Vroman look less than two cents. 

Vroman played like he had a flight to catch that night. In Game 4, Bowles went berserk with 34 points punctuated by four dunks. Billy Mamaril, Rudy Hatfield and Vroman took turns trying to keep Bowles in check but to no avail. Bowles shot 13-of-18 from the field and 8-of-12 foul shots. B-Meg completed five and-1 plays, two by Bowles, compared to Ginebra’s two and-1 attempts by Vroman without completion. One of B-Meg’s and-1 plays was DeVance’s four-point string with a triple plus a foul shot.

Ginebra got off to a strong 8-0 start and led by 14 at 25-11 in the opening quarter. DeVance tied it at 35-all with a triple in the second period then B-Meg grabbed the lead for good on Bowles’ basket, 45-44. Ginebra committed turnovers in its next three possessions and at the height of B-Meg’s uprising, Mark Caguioa – in civvies on the bench – was slapped a technical.

Ginebra’s inability to contain B-Meg’s scorers led to 34 fouls which the Llamados capitalized on to knock down 29-of-44 free throws. B-Meg had 21 fouls and gave up only 16 charities. The stats showed an overwhelming advantage for B-Meg in several categories. The Llamados had more bench points, 39-28, more fastbreak points, 12-6, more turnover points, 30-18, more rebounds, 46-30, more offensive rebounds, 18-6, more steals, 14-7 and more assists, 27-20.

* * * *

Vroman didn’t do a bad job at the start, chalking up eight points in the first period. But when the defense clamped down, he blinked. Bowles, Pingris and Yancy de Ocampo alternated in defending Vroman who was blanked in the second and fourth quarters. An exasperated Vroman picked up his fifth foul with 2:03 to go in the third stanza.

Bowles, whose mother Veronica watched excitedly at courtside, will be unchallenged for Best Import honors. Nobody comes close to what he has done for B-Meg. Before the conference began, Cone described the 22-year-old Bowles as an NBA-type player. “We’re lucky that he’s playing in the PBA now because this might be the last we’ll see of him here,” said Cone. “I think he’s ready for the NBA.” A former Cone import pick Diamon Simpson was recently inked by the Houston Rockets to a contract for the remainder of the NBA season so the coach knows what he’s talking about.

B-Meg’s advance to the finals is Cone’s first with the Llamados and 24th overall. He has captured 13 PBA championships, all with Alaska, and finished second in 10 finals. His previous Last Dance was in the 2009-10 Fiesta Conference where Simpson wore the Alaska colors. Cone’s best finish since Simpson’s stint was third in the Governors Cup last season.