However, the Hotdogs just couldn’t execute their defensive ploy and the Tigers unleashed their dreaded running game in fashioning out a ghastly 83-58 rout and gain a share of second place in the Selecta PBA All-Filipino Cup at the Araneta Coliseum last night.
What was expected to be a tough showdown turned to be a lopsided contest after a long holiday with the Tigers putting the game away from the Hotdogs right in the first half of play.
The Hotdogs had looked headed for a record blowout until the Tigers opted to slow it down in the fourth quarter, fielding in their reserve players to put the finishing touches in their emphatic victory.
"I’m surprised with the result of this game. It’s rare in the PBA but it really happens kapag nagkasabay na sobrang ganda ang inilaro ng isang team at sobrang sama naman ang inilaro ng isa pang team," said Coca-Cola coach Chot Reyes as they dealt Purefoods its worst defeat in a 40-minute game.
"We had a good week of practice and we really felt we had a good chance of winning going into the game. But I didn’t expect this kind of game. We caught Purefoods on an offnight," added Reyes as his Tigers scored a second straight win to level with the Hotdogs at second place behind the Red Bull Thunder (2-0) with identical 2-1 win-loss cards.
The Tigers imposed their will on the Hotdogs, leading by as many as 46 points, 70-24, on a brutal assault in the third quarter.
For the record, the biggest winning margin posted by any team in a 40-minute game in the league was 34 in a 102-68 Red Bull demolition of San Miguel in their Commissionair’s Cup semifinal showdown last Aug. 28.
Coca-Cola appeared well on track to setting a new record, enjoying a 70-33 lead at the end of the third, but Reyes took the luxury of giving his reserves some playing time and the Hotdogs gained some breathing room at the finish.
Rob Duat had one offensive lapse followed by another lapse on the other end of the court in the closing seconds, enabling his former team San Miguel Beer to escape with a 64-63 decision over Alaska Milk in the second game.