Giants smother Bora 5, enhance semifinal bid

MANILA, Philippines - Jumbo Plastic went to its reserves to thump Boracay Rum, 71-56, and bolster its bid for an outright semifinal berth in the PBA D-League Foundation Cup at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City yesterday.

Jeff Viernes scored 15 points as the Giants broke away from a tight first quarter to dominate the next three, leading by as many as 15 points in the fourth quarter en route to posting their fifth win in seven games for joint second with the Cebuana Lhuillier Gems.

Hog’s Breath Café, meanwhile, stopped Cebuana Lhuillier’s three-game run as it fashioned out an 85-72 rout in the other game to post what was only its second win against five defeats. 

JP Belencion made 21 points while Kevin Racal and Jamil Gabawan combined for 25 markers for the Razorbacks, who led by as many as 24 points and never looked back. 

Only six of the 10 teams will advance to the playoffs after the single round eliminations with the top two teams clinching outright semifinal berths. Teams finishing third to sixth place will advance to the quarterfinals.

NLEX, the only unbeaten team in the conference with 7-0 mark, has secured its place in the Final Four.

“We’re doing good right now and our target is to get into the semis outright. Hopefully, we’ll be able to sustain it,” said Jumbo Plastic coach Stevenson Tiu.

“We need this type of games because it bolsters our confidence.”

Jumbo Plastic winds up its elims assignment against Big Chill on Tuesday before taking on Café France on May 13.

Denniece Villamor scored all his nine points in the second quarter as the Giants bench accounted for all but three of the team’s 20 points in the period that propelled Jumbo Plastic to a 32-24 lead at halftime.

Jason Ballesteros finished 12 points and had 10 rebounds as Jumbo Plastic dominated the boards, 45-34.

Chris Banchero, who missed last game with an injured left shoulder, returned to lineup and scored five points during a 9-3 run in the third quarter to pull Boracay Rum within, 36-42.

But the Giants, behind Ballesteros and Viernes, closed the period with a 12-5 burst to bring the lead back to double digit.

“I thought we wanted it (win) more than they do. There were times they (Waves) would make a run to close the gap then they would suddenly slow down. I thought that was the turning points of the game,” Tiu observed.

Jumbo Plastic put the game away in the fourth as Viernes knocked three consecutive 3-points shots to open the period and give the Giants a 65-50 advantage.

Banchero tallied 11 points but he was the Boracay Rum player in double digit as the Waves lost two in a row and fell into a 3-way logjam for fifth to seventh spot with Big Chill and Cagayan Valley at 3-4 record.