Imports finish off Kings

Ron Hale and Bryant Basemore were as explosive as a Fourth of July bash back home, dishing out redhot performances as Coca-Cola repulsed Barangay Ginebra, 70-65, to gain a share of second place with Talk N Text in the Samsung Commissioner’s Cup at the Astrodome last night.

Hale and Basemore bounced back strong from their poor showing against San Miguel last Saturday, outclassing Silas Mills and Ben Davis to lead the Tigers to their third win in four starts.

The Coca-Cola imports waxed hottest in the third quarter, combining for all but five of the team’s 25-point output in the period that paved the way for the Tigers’ smooth sailing in the end.

Riding high on the exploits of Hale and Basemore, the Tigers erected a 54-43 third-quarter lead which they padded to as many as 20, 67-47, before taking it easy in the closing minutes.

Coca-Cola was down by one at 31-32 before Hale and Basemore scored the next 20 points of the team, staking the Tigers ahead at 51-39.

Then Freddie Abuda, Raffi Reavies and Leo Avenido joined the spree at the outset of the fourth quarter and the Tigers pressed their bid even more to break the game wide open at 67-47.

The Kings made a run in the stretch but ran out of time, suffering a second straight loss and third in four games in all.

The Tigers barely reached the 30-point mark in the opening half while shooting only 30 percent from the field. The Kings struggled even more, shooting 28 percent for 21 points.

Mills hit his stride early in the final half, scoring 11 points including back-to-back jams that pushed the Kings ahead at 32-31.

But Mills drew his third foul and Davis his fourth foul moments later, and this obviously affected the Kings’ game.

Meanwhile, PBA commissioner Jun Bernardino slapped a P50,000 fine on Red Bull coach Yeng Guiao after initiating a verbal confrontation with Sta. Lucia center Marlou Aquino Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum.

Aquino was fined P20,000 for that verbal tussle with Guiao while Red Bull import Tony Lang was fined P10,000 for figuring in a near fistfight with the Sta. Lucia player during the game.