Thunder romp over slumping Hotdogs

Red Bull Barako kept their winning run while Purefoods’ fortunes continued to flounder as the Thunder clobbered the Hotdogs, 95-86, in the Samsung Reinforced Conference at the Philsports Arena last night.

The Barako romp and the Purefoods slump both stretched to five games as the roaring Thunder simply outclassed the Hotdogs.

So dominating were the Thunder they took control from the opening buzzer and led by as many as 19 points three times.

Barako seized second place in Group B with a 6-2 win-loss card as it pushed Purefoods deeper in the cellar in Group A with a 1-7 record.

In the Ginebra-Purefoods King of the Court one-on-one competition, Coca-Cola’s Leo Avenido defeated Talk n Text’s Jimmy Alapag, 18-11, to clinch the last slot in the second round in the below 6-4 category.

Paolo Mendoza played big coming off a two-game layoff, firing a game-high 22 points, as Sta. Lucia Realty snapped a two-game skid with a 92-85 win over Barangay Ginebra in the second game.

Barako’s Willie Miller, who routed Purefoods’ Noy Castillo, 16-5, Sunday, gained outright entry into the semifinal round with the best quotient among the first-round winners. Avenido faces Sta. Lucia’s Francis Adriano and San Miguel’s Joey Mente plays Shell’s Christian Calaguio in the second round.

"Ang tinging ko ang susi ng lahat sa amin si Scott (Burrell). The team chemistry is just right at this point. The good thing about Burrell is that he doesn’t look for the points; the points look for him. Masyado siyang magaling and it made it easy for me to rotate my players, giving all of them playing time," said Barako coach Yeng Guiao.

Against the hapless Hotdogs, Guiao fielded in all his 13 players and even allowed reserves Nelson Asaytono, Mick Pennisi, Junthy Valenzuela and Homer Se to close out the game.

"Naibaba nila (by seven) perso hindi ako nag-panic. I knew we can make the defensive stops, hindi na iyong opensa," said Guiao.