MANILA, Philippines – B-Meg unleashed a crippling 19-to-nothing run towards the end of the second quarter and roared on in the final half, clinching the first berth in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals with a 108-84 demolition of Barangay Ginebra before a crowd of over 12,000 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last night.
The Kings set the pace in the early going but the Llamados turned things around on that decisive second-quarter romp that carried them all the way to their first title playoff since the 2009-10 Philippine Cup they won over Alaska Milk and their current coach Tim Cone.
The Llamados sizzled through the final half and went on to score the emphatic victory for a 3-1 series’ romp and seal a berth in the finals against the winner of the Talk n Text-Barako Bull playoff.
Talk n Text, the league’s current dominant team in chase of a title repeat in the season, and Barako Bull, an emerging power out to sustain its breakthrough, put everything on the line in a sudden death at 6:45 p.m. tonight, also at the Big Dome.
“Barako Bull was denied of its usual physical game Monday whereas Talk n Text was allowed to be physical on us. I sincerely hope that the referees will allow us to play our usual physical game in the do-or-die game. A fair and even officiating in Game Five will determine the rightful finalist,” said Barako coach Junel Baculi.
“I agree. That’s all we want, fair and even officiating that will allow both teams to play physical and prevent cheap shots with intent to hurt,” said Talk n Text coach Chot Reyes.
“Four times in four games our players suffered a bloody cut on the face – that’s got to be a record. And that can’t be accidental. But we’re not going to go there. We can play tough but not dirty,” Reyes added.
B-Meg’s win was swift and clean and the Llamados, denied of their sweep bid last Sunday, got the job done against the crowd favorites, gaining their ninth final stint in import-flavored tourneys and 22nd overall in franchise history.
Cone made the finals for the 24th time, getting a shot at a 14thchampionship. Baby Dalupan still leads the all-time list with 15 titles.
The Llamados’ stint in the finals likewise made up for the team’s upset loss to the Powerade Tigers in the Philippine Cup quarterfinals.
“It turned out a gratifying thing. At that moment, it felt really bad, but it motivated us and helped us grow,” said Cone.
Cone gave all the credit to the players, saying they won the game – and the series – on their own.
“It’s funny. With the 2-1 lead, I did something risky, something different. We started with a zone (defense) and it certainly showed as they jumped on us. Good thing, the guys weren’t discouraged and just kept on playing,” said Cone.
He made special mention of Denzel Bowles who played a monster game, totally outclassing Jackson Vroman in this game.
Bowles led their second-quarter turnaround with 12 points and finished with a total of 34 markers, 14 rebounds and six assists as against Vroman’s 14 points and seven boards.
The Llamados zoomed ahead, 58-44, on their 19-0 roll in a stretch where the Kings missed all five field-goal attempts and committed six errors.
Bowles had made 20 points, nine rebounds and four assists as against Vroman’s eight markers and four boards by the half.
Vroman scored all those points in the opening quarter before he cooled down in the second canto. Worse, he fouled out with over four minutes left to play.
The Kings started the game with a 14-4 binge and led by 14 twice at 21-7 and 25-11 before closing the first period at 31-24.
The scores:
B-Meg 108 - Bowles 34, Devance 18, Yap 16, Simon 11, Pingris 7, Barroca 5, Intal 5, Villanueva 5, De Ocampo 4, Reavis 2, Urbiztondo 1, Acuna 0,Gaco 0.
Ginebra 84 - Ababou 17, Vroman 14, Cortez 13, Canaleta 12, Helterbrand 10, Hatfield 8, Raymundo 5, Labagala 3, Mamaril 2, Wilson 0, Villanueva 0.
Quarterscores: 24-31, 58-46, 86-71, 108-84