AIR21 IN BEST-EVER 2-GAME START IN FRANCHISE HISTORY
Still inspired by its semifinal run last conference, Air21 continued its hot start in the 2014 PLDT Home Telpad PBA Governors’ Cup with a 101-86 victory over Barako Bull, ascending to the top of the standings Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
In a game which pitted sister teams from the Lina Group, the Express subdued the Energy for their second straight win, recording the first-ever 2-0 in franchise history, or since entering the league as Shopinas.com two seasons ago.
“Good win for us,” said Air21 head coach Franz Pumaren. “Probably why we’re successful in the last two games is that we’re playing within the system. We’re using our advantage, our strength, and if you look at it, our import is really right for our system.”
Dominique Sutton continued his impressive showing in the third conference, tallying 24 points, 16 rebounds, four assists, and six steals for the Express, but Pumaren is convinced the 27-year-old forward can still do more for his squad.
“He’s still feeling himself cause the last game he played was May 5. Then he just arrived a couple of days before our first game, so he was telling me that he just had to get his timing, his rhythm, and he’ll get his legs back,” he said.
Pumaren added, “I think he’s a much better athlete than what he’s showing in the last two games, because I’ve seen him in the way he jumps and the way he defends.”
Ageless Asi Taulava, the league’s most senior citizen at 41, also logged in a double-double of 22 markers and 12 boards, Joseph Yeo finished with 17 points, and Mac Cardona had 10 off the bench.
“Everybody’s stepping up, especially the bench guys. Now, I guess everybody know their respective roles and this is a good take off point for our game on Tuesday, which is a big game for us,” Pumaren said, shifting his focus against Barangay Ginebra, their next opponent on Tuesday.
“The advantage right now that we have is after that (semifinals) series last conference, we don’t really need a high scoring caliber of an import. What we really need is our collective effort, our locals should contribute one way or another, which is what they are doing, not necessarily scoring but in the other aspects of the game,” Pumaren also said.
With Barako Bull playing catch-up basketball for almost the entire game, Sutton and Yeo took over in the third period, which allowed the Express to gain an 80-72 advantage leading into the fourth.
That lead ballooned to 18 with a Cardona trey in the 7:52 mark of the payoff period, 92-74, and even as the Energy tired their best to close in, the absence of Eric Wise in the endgame proved to be a costly blow for Barako Bull, as Taulava, Sutton, and Eric Camson muscled their way in the paint.
Wise still led the Energy with 24 points and seven rebounds despite missing the final 6:12 of the game because of a cut below the left eye inflicted by an accidental elbow from Sutton and which needed stitches and some time to close. He failed to return in the game.
Rookie Jeric Fortuna added 13 markers, six boards, and four dimes even as fellow rookie Carlo Lastimosa, Leo Najorda, and Ronjay Buenafe all scored 10 points for Barako Bull, which dropped its second straight game after a conference debut win over Meralco on opening day. (RL)
The scores: (Click HERE for full boxscores)
AIR21 101 – Sutton 24, Taulava 22, Yeo 17, Cardona 16, Ramos 8, Camson 8, Villanueva 3, Atkins 3, Borboran 0, Jaime 0, Poligrates 0, Burtscher 0.
BARAKO BULL 86 – Wise 24, Fortuna 13, Lastimosa 10, Najorda 10, Buenafe 10, Miranda 4, Jensen 2, Wilson 2, Marcelo 2, Thiele 0, Deutchman 0, Intal 0.
Quarterscores: 25-22, 52-45, 80-72, 101-86.
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