 |
Waylon Galvez
Red Bull and Alaska did not waste the opportunity as they clinched the last two semifinal berths with separate wins in Game Two of their respective quarterfinal series in the PBA Smart-Philippine Cup last night at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.
Veteran guard Junthy Valenzuela scattered 27 points to lead a balanced attack by the Bulls as they handed the Magnolia Beverage Masters a 112-94 beating to finish off the best-of-three affair.
In the second game, reigning Most Valuable Player (MVP) Willie Miller scored 20 of his 28 points in the second half as the Aces also completed a sweep opposite wildcard survivor the Coca-Cola Tigers with a 110-100 victory.
The wins propelled Alaska and Red Bull into semifinal against outright qualifiers Sta. Lucia Realty and Purefoods TJ Hotdogs, respectively
The Final Four, a best-of-seven series, starts tomorrow at the same venue with the Aces and the Realtors clashing in the first game at 4:05 p.m., followed by the 6:30 p.m. encounter between the Bulls and the Giants.
"Again, you can see the fatigue. But they battled us all the way through," Alaska coach Tim Cone said. "We had a chance to put them away early on, but they keep on coming back. Give credit to the character of that team."
"But we’re a veteran team, that’s our advantage. Hopefully we can use that same advantage against Sta. Lucia," Cone, whose team defeated Coke last Wednesday, 89-82.
Valenzuela made 9-of-13 shots from the field while adding eight rebounds, nine assists and two steals in 36 minutes of action to lead a balanced attack by the Bulls, who won the series opener, 107-104.
"It’s a good feeling being in the semifinals, with the team depleted in the off-season, we’ve never been seriously looked at, at least on paper," Guiao said.
"I had to take pride in this team for getting into the semis, this is our sixth straight. It’s that consistent with all the many things that happened to the team. Sixth straight semifinal is a feat in itself," he added.
Last season, the Bulls lost Lordy Tugade and Rico Villanueva via a trade with San Miguel Beer, which is now Magnolia.
In the off-season, Larry Fonacier was also shipped to the same team, while forward Rich Alvarez suffered an ACL injury during a team practice.
"It’s not about big names, not about big salaries, it’s about big heart. Barya barya lang kami ditto," Guiao said. "You’re motivated even greater. We want to get to the Finals. We want to prove that it can be done without superstars."
Under Guiao, the Bulls, who entered the PBA in 2000, have won two titles. The last time they made it to the Finals was during the 2006 Philippine Cup.
The scores:
First Game
Red Bull 112 — Valenzuela 27, Najorda 15, Cruz 14, Adriano 11, Baguio 10, Pennisi 10, Sharma 9, Ybznez 6, Andaya 3, Hrabak 3, Bugia 2, Robinson 2.
Magnolia 94 — Tugade 31, Tenorio 13, Seigle 13, Hontiveros 10, Villanueva E. 9, Ildefonso 7, Villanueva J. 6, Gonzales 5, Calaguio 0, Pena 0.
Quarters: 23-27, 55-40, 78-70, 112-94.
Second Game
Alaska 110 — Miller 28, Hugnatan 21, Thoss 17, Cariaso 16, Ferriols 8, Cortez 8, Laure 6, Dela Cruz 6, Bono 0, Quinahan 0, Aban 0.
Coke 100 — Taulava 20, Cabagnot 17, Telan 15, Buenafe 13, Arigo 9, Enrile 8, Calimag 7, Dimaunahan 7, Tolomia 4, Catli 0, Misolas 0.
Quarters: 21-20, 49-43, 78-70,110-100
Source: http://www.mb.com.ph/SPRT20080126115405.html
No comments:
Post a Comment