CABAGNOT BAILS PETRON BLAZE OUT OF TROUBLE
Welcome back, Mr. Clutch.
Alex Cabagnot marked his triumphant return with Petron Blaze as he sank the game-winning floater with 3.5 seconds to go, giving the Boosters their sixth win of the season in a 90-88 victory over Air21 at the PLDT myDSL-PBA Philippine Cup Wednesday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
“I just want to leave no more chance for them to take the shot, but I went early. I got a bit excited, but it worked out,” said Cabagnot, who had 10 points and seven assists in the win. “I knew when I went to the corner, I was going to be open, but I didn’t expect myself to be that open.”
The Express hung on until the end as Nino Canaleta drilled back-to-back treys in the final minute to tie the game at 88. With 20.2 seconds left in the clock and the game on the line, Cabagnot was freed by a screen from June Mar Fajardo, went straight to the basket, and released an uncontested left-handed floater from 12-feet which gave Petron a two-point lead. Bonbon Custodio’s last-ditch trey missed its mark, keeping the Boosters’ immaculate slate intact 6-0.
“In my head, I wanted to take the responsibility as one of the leaders of the team, as one of the captains of this team, and one of the mainstays na rin. I wanted to put the pressure on my shoulders na lang. When the play happened, I made the read and as coach said, ‘you do what you have to do,'” added Cabagnot, who played his first game of the season.
Missing almost two months of action because of a ruptured plantar fascia in his left foot, Cabagnot said that he was practicing that game-winning floater since returning to practice for Petron Blaze with his reserve teammate Axel Doruelo, but he never expected that he would be able to use that arsenal right in his first game back, more so that it was the deciding basket of the ballgame.
“Sabi ko nga, himala na I used it pala,” he said.
It was also a belated birthday gift for the 31-year-old playmaker, who celebrated his 31st birthday last December 8.
“It was great. I missed playing and practicing, having to sweat and play around with the guys during practice. I’m still not 100 percent but I’m slowly getting there. It’s a process,” Cabagnot said. “I really thank God that he gave me the opportunity to play the game I love. Nakakamiss yung walang basketball.”
Petron Blaze head coach Gee Abanilla said, “It’s going to be good for Alex’s confidence. Coming from a very long layoff due to injury, a game like this would boost his confidence and hopefully, we’re going to see a lot of those performances, but not that close of a game naman sana.”
Abanilla wasn’t surprised the Express turned out to be a difficult opponent since they were coming off their first win of the season, a 92-77 rout of Barako Bull last Saturday.
But the return of Cabagnot and Chris Ross from injuries came in handy.
“It was really a rough win for us. Air21 came out to play and challenged us until the end,” he added. “We need a lot of patience and understanding with the guys coming in, and it will be a challenge for us coaches to hone them and get that chemistry back. Fortunately, in last few minutes of the ballgame, we relied on the system to finish it off.”
Chris Lutz bannered the Boosters with a career second-best 25 points, while reigning league MVP Arwind Santos added 14 markers and nine boards. Sophomore center Fajardo had his conference-leading sixth double-double in as many game to the tune of 13 points and 16 rebounds, Marcio Lassiter chimed in 12, and Ross added 10.
It was a sorry loss for the Express, which has now lost six of its seven games in the conference to fall at the bottom of the standings.
Mark Cardona finished with 24 for the Express, while Asi Taulava had a double-double of 16 points and 18 rebounds. Canaleta poured in 11, while rookie Eric Camson and Vic Manuel, who injured his left shoulder in the fourth quarter, combined for 20 markers.
The Cabagnot game-winner overshadowed the duel between Fajardo and Taulava, but Abanilla was quick to acknowledge the face-off between the two big men.
“It was the past versus the future, and I think Asi still has it,” he said. “He showed a few tricks of his own, and it’s good that Junemar was able to hold his own and learn something against him from this game.” (RL)
The scores:
PETRON BLAZE 90 – Lutz 25, Santos 14, Fajardo 13, Lassiter 12, Ross 10, Cabagnot 10, Hubalde 4, Lanete 2, Duncil 0, Kramer 0.
AIR21 88 – Cardona 24, Taulava 16, Canaleta 11, Camson 10, Manuel 10, Arboleda 6, Sharma 4, Custodio 4, Jaime 3, Matias 0, Burtscher 0, Espiritu 0, Yeo 0.
Quarterscores: 19-10, 39-39, 59-60, 90-88.
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