KIA COMES FROM BEHIND TO BEAT NLEX
ANYBODY still questioning the growing maturity in Kia should check this out.
With LA Revilla making the right decision and Hyram Bagatsing hitting the game’s biggest shot the Carnival pulled off a pulsating 85-82 win over NLEX Monday in the PBA Governors Cup at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.
After committing two turnovers and missing a shot that fuelled the Road Warriors’ comeback in the stretch, Revilla readily redeemed himself by eluding the defense and finding Bagatsing for the quartercourt triple that shattered the game’s last deadlock.
That left the Road Warriors with just one second to work with and all their efforts went for naught when the Carnival’s defense forced Macmac Cardona to go for a turnaround triple try from way out that simply hit the top of the backboard.
The win bounced Kia right back from a 98-105 loss to Ginebra last Wednesday and, more important, its 2-1 slate boosted it to fourth-running spot and added up to the expansion team’s morale.
“Right now the players’ confidence is very high. Our chemistry is improving every game,” said acting Kia coach Chito Victolero, who also credited his ace playmaker for following his instructions to the letter during their last timeout in the last 15 seconds of the game.
“The last play is for LA, but I told him if somebody is open don’t hesitate to kick the ball out. That’s exactly what happened. Hyram had a good look and he knocked it in,” Victolero revealed.
It was a sorry loss for NLEX, which led by as many as 16 points in the first half, only to be done in by some miserable shooting in the last 24 minutes of play.
After making just 12 of their 36 tries in the second half, the Road Warriors saw their lead vanish and were forced to play catch-up after falling behind by nine points twice, the last at 73-82.
Despite the gallant efforts of Kwame Alexander and Asi Taulava, who scored nine of his points in the fourth period, NLEX dropped to a 1-3 record that tied it with Barangay Ginebra at 11th.
Jet Chang heated up in the second half for all of his 15 points, the same output tallied by Revilla, who also had four rebounds and five assists, the last that crosscourt find on his former La Salle teammate.
Hamady N’Diaye, who went into the game averaging 20 points and 15.5 rebounds, was limited to just six points and eight rebounds but helping pick up the slack were Jason Deutchman and Alex Nuyles, who came off the bench to notch 10 points apiece. Bagatsing added eight.
Alexander had 22 points and 10 boards to lead everybody while Taulava added 17 and eight, but NLEX still failed to follow up its breakthrough 91-84 win over sister team Meralco also last Wednesday.
After sitting out the Meralco game to rest his injured neck Michael Madanly saw action and made his first shot, a triple, but muffed all his next four attempts.
The Road Warriors crumbling started in the third quarter, when they made just five of 21 tries from the floor compared to the Carnival’s 9-for-18 clip, highlighted by another Bagatsing trey that capped Kia’s chase and put it on top, 63-61.
It was in stark contrast to the first half, especially in the second period which saw Alexander buckling down to work to power the Road Warriors into as much as a 48-32 lead.
Alexander stayed on track for his tournament average of 27 points with 14 first half points, including nine in the second period that ensured NLEX stayed comfortably ahead 50-36 at the turn.
The Road Warriors already had a 26-15 rebounding advantage in the first 24 minutes of play and was also helped along by a 50 percent clip from the floor, including 5-for-10 from beyond the arc. (NC)
The scores:
Kia 85 — Revilla 15, Cheng 15, Deutchman 10, Nuyles 10, Bagatsing 8, NDiaye 6, Thiele 6, Yee 5, Pascual 4, Pareno 4, Alvarez 2, Ighalo 0, Dehesa 0, Webb 0, Avenido 0.
NLEX 82 — Alexandr 22, Taulava 17, Borboran 10, Cardona 8, E. Villanueva 6, Canaleta 5, J. Villanueva 4, Madanly 3, Lingganay Raymundo 0, H. Arboleda 0.
Quarterscores: 15-28; 36-50; 63-61; 85-82.
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