NorthPort sustains rise Batang Pier turn back Dyip

MANILA, Philippines — NorthPort encountered rough sailing but mustered its resources to get past Terrafirma, 124-117, and stay in the mix in the PBA Governors’ Cup quarterfinals race yesterday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Down by 19 early on, the resilient Batang Pier shifted to high gear in the third quarter to close in then unleashed a strong finishing kick to seal their fifth straight win after a 0-5 start.

Sustaining their spirited rise from the cellar, the Pido Jarencio-coached squad caught up with idle Barangay Ginebra and Phoenix in a three-way logjam at seventh with a game to go in their respective schedules.

“Players just didn’t want to quit. Everybody’s helping out and leaders like Arwind Santos, Jamel Artis and Robert Bolick stepped up and hit crucial shots (in the stretch),” said Jarencio, who will target a sixth victory on Friday against TNT (5-4) to bolster their drive.

“Pero itong five straight wins ay mababale-wala kung hindi namin maipapanalo ang next game namin against TNT. Itong game na ito is crucial kung papasok kami ng playoffs.”

Artis, Bolick and Santos presided over the key 39-28 third-quarter salvo that allowed NorthPort to seize momentum away from the hot-starting Dyip. From there, the Batang Pier took over and wrested a 120-112 cushion going to the last 1:24.

The 6-foot-6 Artis banged in 31 points, eight rebounds and the same number of assists to lead NorthPort, which is now on its longest win streak in franchise history. Santos fired 28 spiked by four treys plus nine boards while Bolick issued a career-high 17 assists on top of his 21 markers. Rookie Jamie Malonzo contributed a 21-12 double-double.

Antonio Hester netted 40 with 18 boards for Terrafirma, which dove to its fourth consecutive setback for 2-8 overall. It was the third time for the Dyip to squander a huge upperhand and concede after previous meltdowns against Alaska (102-97) and Barangay Ginebra (112-107).

Meanwhile, Alaska (6-4) and embattled defending champion Barangay Ginebra (5-5) go for victories against separate rivals, hoping a favorable result in their final elims games will serve their quarterfinal goals well.

The Aces aim to wind up with seven wins and get a possible crack at a top four finish in their 4 p.m. encounter with pacesetting Magnolia (8-1). The Gin Kings want a six-win slate for a possible spot in the Last-8 at 6:30 p.m. against also-ran Rain or Shine (3-7).