Basketball
Upset missions on the line as TNT, Magnolia aim to finish off higher-seeded foes
ANTIPOLO — Now, it’s all about getting the job done for TNT and Magnolia to formalize their entry to the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup semifinals.
Both the perennial contenders have positioned themselves in favorable spots after pushing their higher-seeded foes to do-or-die matches later at the Ynares Center here after flipping the script in the quarters’ opener last Wednesday.
According to Casino Plus sportsbook, as of 1 p.m. today, both the Road Warriors and the Bolts are +2.5 underdogs against their lower-seeded opponents.
Bets can be made here: https://www.casinoplus.com.ph/home/inGame?name=basketball&title=SportBet.
The Tropang 5G dragged the no. 1 NLEX to a knockout, and the Hotshots would follow suit later by doing the same against the fourth-ranked Meralco.
Chot Reyes and the defending conference champions have already conditioned their minds as early as the latter part of the eliminations that they will have to beat somebody twice in a row if they are to keep their ‘back-to-back’ bid alive.
No doubt that it worked even if they came into the playoffs in a three-game skid, with TNT drawing inspired performances from mainstays Roger Pogoy, Calvin Oftana, and Jayson Castro to give Bol Bol the support he’s been needing.
“I think this is the first game in the whole conference that we had those three other guys in double figures. Hindi magsabay-sabay na maganda ang laro ni Calvin, Roger, and Jayson eh,” the multiple-time Coach of the Year said.
Definitely, they’d want to replicate as much–or even exceed–in their most important game of the tournament to date against a Road Warriors side keen on rectifying the mistakes they committed in their previous encounter.
Fouls in particular are one thing that Coach Jong Uichico & Co. would be watching closely after committing a total of 27 fouls, including 17 in just the first half, which made it difficult for the crew to generate any momentum.
It’s that very problem that plagued Robert Bolick, who fouled out of the game still with 4:33 left in the game, leaving the team without its ultimate closer as the Tropa went on to finish strong behind the 7-foot-3 former NBA pro.
As tough as it was, the 10-2 NLEX finds solace in the fact that it still has one more opportunity to pick itself up and not fully waste the twice-to-beat.
“Ganun talaga ang playoffs,” the nine-time league champion said. “You make mistakes, review, and adjust. Then, you hope for the best in the next game.”
Game time is set at 7:30 p.m. as they’re at the main event this time, with the Meralco-Magnolia bout opening the double-header affair at 5:15 p.m.
(C) PBA Images
And that’s surely going to be a solid appetizer for the all-MVP showdown, as they’re figuring in the final battle of a trilogy that began in the penultimate meeting of the elimination round last May 10 at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Sure, the Bolts still clinched the fourth-seed and the win-once incentive, but the Hotshots have leveled the playing field, having won the last two games.
After a convincing 93-76 in Game One, Coach LA Tenorio and his men went on to show better poise three nights later before pulling off the 95-89 decision, with Clint Chapman coming through to repel Meralco’s rally from 19 down.
Needless to say, momentum is on the side of Magnolia– the team is now in the midst of a four-game winning run–but the former star guard refuses to get that into his wards’ heads, for he knows how dangerous a team Meralco is.
“We’re playing a great team, a very well-coached team, a very systematic team,” he said, clearly speaking from experience during his Ginebra days.
“I should know, because I always play against this team in the playoffs. I know how they play in the playoffs, with the vets that they have right now.”
According to Casino Plus sportsbook, the over/under for the NLEX-TNT clash is set at 192.5, while the Meralco versus Magnolia game has a point total spread of 186.5.
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NLEX took the solo lead in Group A following a convincing 110-96 victory over the erstwhile perfect San Miguel to extend its unbeaten run to four in the PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup on Sunday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
In a game where they showed a bit of everything, the Road Warriors went on a tear in the second chapter, inflated the lead to its biggest at 25 in the third, and then displayed solid poise in the defining chapter to put the Beermen away.
Robert Bolick connected on a four, then came Robbie Herndon with a triple not long after as that 7-0 spurt pushed their lead back to 99-84 with 6:23 to go, and that proved to be enough to restore order after their foes cut the gap to eight.
DeQuan Jones took over afterward to lead the strong closeout as they went on to become the lone team without a loss thus far as the Beermen fell to 3-1.
In what’s becoming a trend since Coach Jimmy Alapag arrived, NLEX leaned on another balanced attack that saw a five finish in double figures
Jones himself led the way with 27 points and 10 rebounds. Deschon Winston finished with 24 points, four rebounds, and four assists as he triggered the 14-0 run in the second chapter for a 44-27 lead that set the tone for the rout.
Tony Semerad had 15 points as his long bombs helped put together the solid finish. Bolick came just short of a triple-double with 14 points, nine rebounds, and 12 assists while Herndon added 13 markers to lead the bench mob.
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Joseph Yeo and Chris Tiu rekindled their legendary partnership as Xavier School edged the James Yap-led Hua Siong College-Iloilo, 75-72, in Game 1 of the 40 Years Division finals of the Fil-Chinese Athletic Association Inc. on Friday at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.
Though no longer as quick or explosive as they were in their prime, the Powersox-AcroCity-backed Xavier stars remained deadly from beyond the arc, delivering clutch baskets down the stretch to topple the defending champions in the opener of their best-of-three title series before a sizable crowd.
The Golden Stallions now stand one win away from the championship and a measure of revenge after falling to Hua Siong in last year’s finals. They can seal the title with another victory on Monday.
Yeo turned back the clock with a game-high 30 points, highlighted by four three-pointers, to outduel fellow PBA great James Yap. He scored Xavier’s final seven points, including a crucial triple that stretched the lead to 71-66 late in the contest.
Yap answered with 18 points, knocking down two booming three-pointers, but his efforts were not enough as the Lamtex Pipes-backed Hua Siong absorbed its first loss after sweeping all eight elimination-round games. Hua Siong had also cruised past GT Radial-Grace Christian College, 108-74, in the semifinals.
Tiu also played a key role in the victory, finishing with 17 points while sinking two of Xavier’s 13 three-pointers. Hua Siong, meanwhile, connected on nine triples.
In the battle for third place, Grace Christian College rolled past SCAG-St. Stephen’s, 60-40, behind Allan Anson Tan’s 20-point performance to finish third in the nine-team tournament.
With Yap struggling to find his rhythm late, Ken Bono tried to keep Hua Siong within striking distance, but Xavier would not be denied.
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Ramon Cao asserted himself in the endgame to help Macau complete a 132-126 comeback win over Titan Ultra to break through in the PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup, Saturday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
The reliable big man finished with 27 points and 13 rebounds as he basically took it upon himself to bring the Giant Risers home after seeing themselves staring at a 120-119 deficit with 1:52 remaining.
He scored seven straight to give themselves the 126-120 lead with 31.1 seconds left, which were enough to put them ahead permanently while the opposition could only try to answer back but to no avail
De’Vondre Perry helped him out to keep their foes at bay before Cao applied the final blow with a cleanup from point-blank as the former Bay Area Dragons forward produced 11 of Macau’s last 13 points of the bout.
With this, the guest team improved to 1-4 while sending Titan crashing back to earth after beating TNT previously.
The post PBA: Ramon Cao powers Macau’s stunning comeback to first win at Titan’s expense appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.
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