Realtors fight back to halt Express in OT

MANILA, Philippines - Sta. Lucia Realty bungled a won ballgame in regulation play but went back to work in overtime to salvage a 106-98 win over Air21, 106-98, in the 2010 PBA Fiesta Conference at the Araneta Coliseum last night.

Anthony Johnson matched a PBA career-high 43 points, pumping back life into Sta. Lucia’s bid with an 11-point cluster in extension play.

Johnson personally bucked Air21’s never-say-die stand, enabling the Realtors to check a three-game slump before the coming PBA All-Star Week.

Kelly Williams dished out a double-double game with 17 points and 14 rebounds and Ryan Reyes had his own solid showing with 15 points, nine assists and eight rebounds as Sta. Lucia notched its second win in four starts.

Unable to complete what could have been a big come-from-behind win, the Express slid farther down the chart with a 1-5 win-loss record.

“My guys thought it’s already a ballgame as we held a 22-point lead at the half. But they were able to turn the game around in the second half. We nearly lost the game. Fortunately, AJ (Anthony Johnson) stepped up for us in overtime,” said Sta. Lucia coach Boyet Fernandez.

“Our defense broke down in the second half. We let them do what they wanted to do. Good thing, we recovered. It’s a big win that could well boost our morale before the All-Star break,” said Reyes, selected the Best Player of the Game with his near triple-double effort.

“I’d given up after the first half. I thought it’s a game already and I just asked the guys to be decent in losing. But they worked hard in the second half and put us in a situation where we can win the game,” said Air21 coach Yeng Guiao.

“That’s the good side. The bad side was that we had to be behind by over 20 points before starting to work harder,” rued Guiao.

The Express waged a determined fightback in the second half, wiping out a 24-point deficit, 36-60, and surging ahead at 84-77 entering the final five minutes of play.

San Miguel Beer continued to get going, notching a fourth straight win with a 102-94 drubbing of Barangay Ginebra in the second game.

Gabe Freeman piled up 25 points and 18 rebounds with Arwind Santos and Dondon Hontiveros combining for 43 points, 12 rebounds, five steals and three assists as the Beermen firmed up their hold of the lead with a 5-1 slate.

NOTES: The PBA had a grand culmination of its weeklong anniversary celebration with former commissioner Rudy Salud and cage legend Robert Jaworski among those gracing the occasion. Salud, in his speech, paid tribute to the players and the coaches who he said were the main reason of the league’s great success. He particularly pointed to Jaworski leading the league’s never-say die spirit. Jaworski, meanwhile, expressed heartfelt gratitude to the PBA fans... A tinge of sadness marked the affair with the announcement of Ricric Marata’s passing at the age of 45 in the United States. Marata died due to auto immune disease and organ failure.