BARAKO BULL BEATS NLEX TO SECURE PLAYOFFS BERTH
Barako Bull found a way out of the 10th place quagmire in the PBA Philippine Cup. NLEX, meanwhile, continues to be mired in complex possibilities.
RR Garcia provided the youth and Mick Pennisi the experience as Barako Bull turned back NLEX, 92-87, Tuesday night at the Mall of Asia Arena to break away from a floor-scraping tie with the Road Warriors and advance safely to the two-phase quarterfinals.
The Energy’s fourth win in its last five games after a 0-5 conference start also revived Kia Motors’ gasping playoff bid while putting on hold the Road Warriors’ march to the next round. NLEX slid to 3-7 with its third consecutive loss.
The sophomore Garcia unloaded a career-high 22 points, including three 3-pointers, while Pennisi added 12 points with a pair of rainbow shots.
Garcia was 9 of 15 from the field and his driving layup with 29 seconds remaining gave Barako Bull an 86-81 lead. Chico Lanete and Willy Wilson each had 13 points.
A late 3-pointer by Mac Cardona, who led NLEX with 23 points, made it 84-88, but Pennisi hit two free throws, holding back the threat. Cardona came back with a 3-point play, making it a one-possession game with 17 seconds to go. Wilson split his charities, however, and Garcia blocked a 3-point attempt by Juneric Baloria to seal the outcome.
“Our motivation coming in is how to use this game in the coming playoffs,” said Energy head coach Koy Banal. “Winning the game is stretching our selves. Yung last four games namin (won 3 of 4) gave us positive signs of what we’re trying to do as a team.”
Dorian Pena, back from knee injury, came off the bench halfway in the fourth quarter, taking fouls away from Pennisi while keeping NLEX’s Asi Taulava from dominating inside in the crunch. Taulava finished with 17 points and 15 rebounds but was no longer a hulking factor with the bulky Pena draped all over him.
Clutch 3-point shooting in the second quarter from Pennisi and Garcia fuelled a Barako Bull comeback from 26-35 that allowed the Energy to take the half, 41-37.
After Garcia’s triple wrested the lead for Barako Bull, 39-37, NLEX forward Aldrech Ramos tied the score with a lean-in 8-footer. JC Intal then broke through the Road Warriors’ defense for a high floater just before the break.
The first 24 minutes was off to a physical start with Barako Bull guard Denok Miranda getting a technical and Pennisi called for a flagrant one foul after hitting NLEX playmaker Jonas Villenueva in the head with an errant elbow during a looseball play early in the second period.
Pennisi served the three-minute penalty on the bench but returned to spark the Energy back to life after Cardona completed a 3-point play to give NLEX a 35-26 advantage. (WJRHT)
The scores:
BARAKO BULL 92 – Garcia 22, Lanete 13, Wilson 13, Pennisi 12, Intal 10, Marcelo 7, Pascual 6, Lastimosa 5, Miranda 4, Pena 0, Salvador 0, Paredes 0.
NLEX 87 – Caradona 23, Taulava 17, Borboran 9, Ramos 9, R. Villanueva 8, J. Villanueva 6, Canaleta 4, H. Arboleda 3, Lingganay 2, Baloria 2, Apinan 1, Raymundo 0, W. Arboleda 0.
Quarterscores: 18-18; 41-39; 62-66; 92-87.
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