Taguig halts MayniLA’s 5-game run

MALOLOS CITY — Forward Taguig snapped MayniLA’s five-game winning streak, while Bulacan’s Spring Cooking Oil finally barged into the win column after seven false starts at the expense of Air Philippines-Bacolod Saturday night in the National Basketball League (NBL) national championship at the CEU Centrodome here.

A blistering 11-3 run in the last two minutes fueled by Robin Mendoza and Jimmy Robillos lifted Taguig past MayniLA, 91-83.

The Cooking Oil Masters squandered a 16-point lead, and then exploded in the last 2:15 behind Marphyl Limbo and Tyrone Bautista to beat Bacolod, 84-71.

With its first loss in five games, MayniLA dropped into a first-place tie with idle M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala of Cebu. Taguig improved its record to 3-2, tying Pampanga.

Spring was comfortably ahead, 68-52, early in the fourth period when Ricky Ricafuente sparked a torrid AirPhil comeback that cut the lead to 69-70. Limbo and Bautista quickly doused the fire, however.

Limbo and Mendoza were named game MVPs in the tourney supported by Tanduay Rhum, Air Philippines, Cebu Ferries, Nature’s Spring Drinking Water, Supercat, Panasonic, BJ Star Logistics, Gatorade, Sinners and Saints, The Freeman, Jaguar KTV and Molten Basketballs.