Air21 ousts Globalport, boosts Top 4 bid

Games tomorrow (MOA Arena)

5:45 p.m. – Ginebra vs Alaska

8 p.m. – San Mig Coffee vs Talk n Text

Standings

TEAM                                                    W            L

Ginebra                                                5              2

Talk n Text                                            5              2

San Mig Coffee                                   5              2

Air21                                                     5              3

Rain or Shine                                     5              3

San Miguel Beer                                4              4

Alaska                                                  3              4

Barako Bull                                         3              5

Meralco                                                2              6

Globalport                                           1              7

MANILA, Philippines - With a wounded Asi Taulava playing with great determination and showing the way, Air21 dealt Globalport the knockout blow while boosting its Top Four aspiration in the PBA PLDT Home Telpad Governors Cup.

Taulava played through a deep cut above the left eye sustained late in the first half and came through with lethal plays at the finish as the Express eased out the Batang Pier, 106-102, at the Philsports Arena last night.

Refusing to be rushed to the hospital to have his cut stitched, the Fil-Tongan behemoth stayed in the battle and personally delivered Globalport the KO punch with five points and two big rebounds in the last two minutes of play.

“He’s a gladiator,” said Air21 coach Franz Pumaren of his ageless center.

With the key win, the Express stuck with the tournament frontrunners with a 5-3 win-loss card while sending the Batang Pier down to 1-7.

Globalport won’t make the post-elims play even if it wins its last game in the tourney against Meralco on Saturday.

Air21, meanwhile, gets a shot at the Top Four and at a twice-to-beat incentive in the quarterfinals if it beats San Miguel Beer also on Saturday’s twinbill at the Alonte Sports Arena in Biñan, Laguna.

“Kudos to my team Air21 and my players. I guess this game is really meant for us. We were able to come back even if they made a run,” said Pumaren.

The Express, barely beaten in overtime by three-peat champ San Mig Coffee the last time out, came out strong and dominated the Batang Pier until Taulava had to sit out precious minutes after sustaining the cut with 3:06 left in the second quarter.

After an undergoal shot, Dior Lowhorn’s left elbow accidentally came down hard on the face of Taulava, causing the Air21 warrior the injury.

The accident nearly became the game-changer with the Batang Pier pounding the moments spent by Taulava in their dugout.

After trailing by double-digit deficits most of the first three quarters, the Batang Pier surged ahead, 82-78, on a nine-to-nothing roll.

Then the two teams fought tooth and nail until Taulava took over the game in the homestretch, preserving a mammoth job marked by 17 points, nine rebounds and four assists.

With the pair of Taulava and Dominique Sutton dominating the shaded lane, the Express opened an early 16-point spread and took the half at 55-47.

The Express lorded it over the boards, 28-15, and took a 9-0 advantage on second-chance points in the first two quarters of play.

The Batang Pier took a while to make the score board, going without a point until Lowhorn canned in two charities with already six minutes into the game.

Zaccheus Mason exploded for 26 of his 30 points in the second half as Barangay Ginebra built a 21-point spread before weathering a late uprising by San Miguel Beer for a 105-98 win and a share of the lead with Talk n Text and San Mig Coffee at 5-2 in the nightcap.

The Beermen moved down to sixth place at 4-4.

The scores

First Game

Air21 106 – Sutton 28, Taulava 17, J. Villanueva 15, Yeo 13, Ramos 8, Atkins 6, Borboran 5, Poligrates 4, Cardona 4, E. Villanueva 2, Burtscher 2, Camson 2, Menor 0.

Globalport 102 – Lowhorn 35, Cabagnot 19, Washington 19, Buenafe 16, Romeo 7, Macapagal 4, Menk 2, Yee 0, Lingganay 0, Hayes 0, Salvador 0, Garcia 0, Acuña 0.

Quarterscores: 29-20, 55-47, 78-75, 106-102

Second Game

Ginebra 105 – Mason 30, Slaughter 19, Tenorio 16, Aguilar 15, Baracael 7, Ellis 6, Caguioa 6, Helterbrand 4, Mamaril 2, Monfort 0.

San Miguel Beer 98 – Williams 37, Fajardo 23, Mercado 14, Santos 8, Tubid 7, Lutz 6, Maierhofer 2, Kramer 1, Duncil 0, Lassiter 0, Chua 0.

Quarterscores: 25-16, 49-41, 84-65, 105-98