PBA SEMI-FINALS ACTION and HIGHLIGHTS!

Red Bull head coach Yeng Guiao said they made the necessary adjustments after losing by 19 points in the Game 1.

"We forgot to bring our defense with us in the first game. But tonight we played better defense," said Guiao during the postgame news conference.

The Barakos, who lost Game 1 103-84, did a remarkable effort defensively by shutting down virtually all of Purefoods’ offensive source.

"I don't think there will be too many blowouts like what happened in Game 1. From hereon, I guess it's going to be a defensive series. I don't think you'll see a lot of games in the 100s. Every team will try to stop the other team and not just try to outscore them," offered Guiao.

Game 2 was an all-Red Bull show with the Barakos building a comfortable lead early as their tenacious defense kept Purefoods' top two scorers – Kerby Raymundo and James Yap out of their comfort zone.

"I think we know how to play Purefoods. Our two victories against them were no fluke, its just that we were really tired last Sunday coming off two tough games against Magnolia in the quarters," said Guiao, defending his troops lackluster effort in Game 1.

Game 3 of the SMART-PBA Philippine Cup semifinal series will be played Friday at 7:20 also at the Cuneta Astrodome.

"That game will be very pivotal in this series," said Guiao, who expects the next two games to take its toll on Raymundo and James Yap.

"Those guys will eventually feel the fatigue. Kerby and James are just playing too many minutes and handling the ball too many times. So I guess the longer this series goes the better for us," the Pampanga Vice-Governor explained.

Red Bull held a 66-55 lead going into the fourth quarter but that comfortable margin almost dissipated as the Barakos missed crucial shots and turned the ball over on three consecutive possessions.

The Giants quickly capitalized and completed an 11-0 run with James Yap ending the spurt with a three-point play that pulled the Purefoods within 78-79 with 3:50 remaining.

But Mick Pennisi answered with a three on Red Bull's next possession then Valenzuela, who scored 11 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter, scored two quick baskets and assisted Cyrus Baguio for a fastbreak layup as the Barakos brought the lead back up to 88-80 and virtually took away whatever hopes Purefoods for a comeback.

Guiao said the burden to make the adjustments now rests on the shoulders of Purefoods head coach Ryan Gregorio.

Cyrus Baguio, who was nowhere to be found in Game 1, scored 19 points and sparked Red Bulls' offense in the first half. Kiko Adriano added 16, most of them when Purefoods threatened to make a run in the second half.

James Yap led all scorers with 29 points and Raymundo added 18 for the Giants, who outrebounded the Barakos, 51-37.

The Giants, who trailed by as much as 14 points, appeared to gain momentum in the third quarter but Raymundo, who was picking up his rhythm, busted his lips following a contact with Baguio. The injury required five stitches to close and kept the star forward on the bench the entire quarter.

The scores:

Red Bull 93 -- Baguio 19, Adriano 16, Valenzuela 16, Ybanes 10, Cruz 9, Pennisi 7, Sharma 6, Hrabak 6, Najorda 2, Bugia 2.

Purefoods 89 -- James Yap 29, Raymundo 18, Lanete 10, Simon 7, Pingris 6, R. Yap 6, Evangelista 6, Adducul 3, Salvador 2, Castillo 2, Sanz, 0, Yee 0.

Quarterscores: 22-13; 44-33; 66-55; 93-89


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We pretended to be an offensive team in Game One and we suffered the consequence. Fortunately, we’re quick to realize our mistake," said Sta. Lucia coach Boyet Fernandez.

"We made a conscious effort to limit their production. I told them we can’t beat Alaska if we allow them to score 90 points or more," Fernandez added. "Our main objective in Game Three will be the same – try to start strong, sustain it and limit Alaska’s output."

Sta. Lucia held Alaska to 40.6 percent field-goal shooting and brought down the Aces’ output 30 points below their production in a 107-94 victory in the series opener Sunday.

Offensively, Kelly Williams had his usual numbers while guards Ryan Reyes and Denok Miranda held their own against Willie Miller and Mike Cortez this time.

"Changes in our defensive rotation proved to be a major factor. We neutralized them by putting Ryan Reyes on Jeff Cariaso, Bitoy Omolon on Mike Cortez and Kelly Williams on Joachim Thoss," said Fernandez.

"Another key was our backcourt rotation stepping up and holding their own against Alaska’s dreaded guards in Willie Miller, Mike Cortez and Jeffrey Cariaso," Fernandez added.

Fernandez, however, stressed it wasn’t easy avenging their Game One defeat. And he expects an even tougher grind the next game.

"It’s gonna be a battle from hereon," he said.

Williams scored a game-high 24 points while Omolon added 16, including a decisive five-point binge giving the Realtors an 81-75 cushion entering the final-minute mark.

Miller paced the Aces with 16 points but hastened their downfall on two missed three-pointers in the closing seconds.

Williams provided the exclamation point in their victory with a two-handed slam off an alley-oop pass by Miranda at the buzzer.

The two teams figured in a duel of spurts right in the opening period with Sta. Lucia starting the game with a 14-0 blitz and Alaska fighting back with an 18-3 assault.

The Realtors banked on a massive offense in the second period as they took a 39-37 edge at the turn. (NC)

The scores:

Sta. Lucia 86 – Williams 24, Omolon 16, Reyes 12, Miranda 11, Aquino 8, Espino 6, Yeo 3, Gonzales 3, Mendoza 3, Daa 0.

Alaska 77 – Miller 16, Thoss 14, Cariaso 13, Dela Cruz 12, Ferriols 9, Quinahan 5, Cortez 4, Hugnatan 2, Laure 2, Aban 0, Bajar 0, Juinio 0.

Quarterscores: 17-18, 39-37, 66-55, 86-77.

RED BULL DEFEATS MAGNOLIA! / ALASKA HALTS THE COKES AMAZING RUN!

Minus one key player in Carlo Sharma, Red Bull still kept its mastery of Magnolia at the start of their 2007-08 Smart PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinal showdown.

Cyrus Baguio scored a career-high 31 points while Mike Hrabak and Mick Pennisi nailed decisive three-pointers at endgame as the Barakos upended the Beverage Masters, 107-104, Wednesday to move in the threshold of the Final Four.

"We missed Carlo (Sharma) a lot because Magnolia is really big. But we didn’t give up and played with a bigger heart," said Red Bull coach Yeng Guiao.

"We still got their number. We’re now 3-0 against them in this tournament but it won’t matter if we don’t win this series," Guiao added. "Winning Game One gives you 60 percent of winning this series. It’s not yet over but our battlecry the next game is to finish it."

The Barakos take their first crack at closing the series in Game Two Friday in the same venue at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay.

Baguio ran a spectacular show, coming through with several highlight moves on the way to improving his previous career-high of 30 points.

The former UST Tiger went 11-of-13 from the field and 8-of-9 from the stripe while also coming through with six assists, five rebounds and one steal in a sterling 35 minutes of awesome action.

But the Barakos needed Hrabak’s and Pennisi’s treys to build a 104-98 cushion entering the final minute of the fiercely fought battle.

Hrabak finished with 21 points – his biggest output in the league in the last four years. Pennisi contributed 11 points and nine rebounds while playing extended minutes sans Sharma who served a one-game suspension for his fight with Jondan Salvador in the Purefoods-Red Bull setto closing out the double-round elims.

Junthy Valenzuela and Leo Najorda also put in double-figure outputs as the Barakos engaged the Beverage Masters in a virtual shootout.

It helped that Red Bull shot 50 percent from the field against Magnolia’s 44.4-percent clip.

Wesley Gonzales was perfect from the field (5-of-5) in the first half but failed to score again.

Danny Seigle and Lordy Tugade carried the bulk of the fight for Magnolia in the second half with the latter hitting back-to-back three-pointers that shoved the team within two at 104-106 with time down to 6.4 seconds.

Baguio gave Red Bull more breathing room with a free throw before Magnolia eventually saw its bid vanish in the air with Chris Calaguio missing a desperation three-pointer at the buzzer.

Seigle fired 25 points to pace the Beverage Masters, who also drew 10 points or more from Tugade, Dorian Pena, Danny Ildefonso, Gonzales and Enrico Villanueva. (NC)

The scores:

Red Bull 107 – Baguio 31, Hrabak 21, Valenzuela 18, Najorda 13, Pennisi 11, Adriano 5, Bugia 3, Robinson 3, Ybanez 1, Cruz 1.

Magnolia 104 – Seigle 25, Tugade 15, Pena 15, Ildefonso 13, Gonzales 10, Villanueva E. 10, Hontiveros 8, Villanueva J. 5, Tenorio 3, Wilson 0, Racela 0, Calaguio 0.

Quarterscores: 22-20, 45-47, 77-78, 107-104.

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Willie Miller and Mike Cortez certainly know when to strike. And when the right moment came, Alaska's veteran backcourt duo delivered the knockout punch.

In a game that featured tough defense from both sides, the Aces summoned their playoff experience in the second half to subdue the weary Coca-Cola Tigers, 89-82, in Game 1 of their best-of-three quarterfinal series at the Cuneta Astrodome.

"It was a tough game to get rid of. It was a defensive battle out there. It was hard to get open shots and good looks at the baskets for either team. But it kind of went the way we had hoped it would," said Alaska coach Tim Cone, who did a terrific job in shuffling his bench.

The Aces, who were coming off a 12-day rest against the Tigers who were playing their fourth game in eight days, seized control late in the third quarter largely on the splendid playmaking and decisiveness of Cortez, who finished with 11 points, three assists and one steal. He capped his third quarter effort by scoring five big points during a telling 9-1 run as Alaska ended the period with a 69-64 lead and never relinquished it the rest of the way.

But the ninth-seeded Tigers, who were extremely confident following their unexpected domination in the wildcard, didn't give in and the Aces went to Miller for the finishing touches.

The two-time MVP finished with a game high 23 points, including a lay-up and three-pointer in the final 1:34 that broke the spines of the Tigers. The Olongapo City-born Miller also had seven assists and two steals for the Aces, who outscored Coca-Cola, 48-34, in the second half.

Alaska can advance to the best-of-seven semifinals of the 2007-08 Smart PBA-Philippine Cup against No. 2-ranked Sta. Lucia with another victory in Game 2 scheduled at 7:20 p.m. on Friday also at the Cuneta Astrodome.

"We knew we had to battle them early on. And by the fourth quarter they (Tigers) started wearing down. So we just kept pushing and pushing at them hoping the tide would turn to our favor. Eventually it did. Asi (Taulava) started to cramp, Mark (Telan) got tired and they just lost their bounce bit," Cone observed.

Alaska's fourth consecutive win snapped Coca-Cola's improbable run to the playoffs and spoiled another incredible effort by Taulava.

The 6-foot-9 center tallied 22 points and cornered 25 rebounds for his 15^th double-double and second 20-20 game of the conference

But the toil of playing 41 minutes took its toll on Coke's Big Fellow, who experience leg cramps in the final 2:07 with the Tigers down 81-85.

The failure of his teammates to step up and provide him support also played a role in Coca-Cola's downfall.

Telan, the other half of Coke's mean machine, managed just 13 points and showed signs of fatigue in the fourth quarter where he went scoreless, his energy visibly zapped. Ricky Calimag scored 12 but only had four in the second half. No other Tiger manage to score in double digits.

"We might have won Game 1 but this series is certainly no slam dunk for us. Coke is so good and dangerous when their backs are against the wall. So we got to be ready on Friday," said Cone whose team has now won four in a row dating back to the eliminations.

Coke’s winning streak appeared to continue when they posted a 40-31 lead midway in the second quarter.

And although the Aces managed to tie the score twice in the third quarter, the Tigers would come up with big baskets to regain the lead.

But they would eventually run out of gas late in the third as the well-rested Aces kept pushing the ball on every possession and contested every Tigers' shot.

Alaska also got big contributions from Reynel Hugnatan (17 points, 10 rebounds), John Ferriols (11 points, eight rebounds), Jeffrey Cariaso (10 points) and Sonny Thoss (11 rebounds).

Coca-Cola, which ended a three-game winning streak, shot just 32% from the field in the second half and had 14 turnovers compared to a 43% shooting in the first half and only 10 turnovers.

The scores:

Alaska 89 -- Miller 23, Hugnatan 17, Ferriols 11, Cortez 11, Cariaso 10, Thoss 8, Dela Cruz 7, Quinahan 2, Bono 0, Aban 0, Cabatu 0.

Coca-Cola 82 -- Taulava 22, Telan 13, Calimag 12, Cabagnot 9, Tolomia 6, Buenafe 5, Dimaunahan 5, Arigo 4, Enrile 2, Isip 2, Misolas 2.

Quarterscores: 21-21; 41-48; 69-64; 89-82.

From pba.com

posted by: Guian Yeo

Sta Lucia beats the magnolia for the 7th time win in a row!! PBA HIGHLIGHTS!

Outstanding rookie Ryan Reyes sustained a hit on the jaw that just enraged the Sta. Lucia Realtors even more.Hurt, Reyes sat out the last 11 minutes off the game but the entire Sta. Lucia team took up the cudgels for their fallen comrade and showed no mercy on the badly stunned Magnolia Beverage Masters.The Realtors stretched their searing run to a franchise-record seven games and assured themselves of a playoff crack at the second outright semifinals seat in the 2007-08 Smart PBA Philippine Cup with a 99-77 rout of the Beverage Masters at the Araneta Coliseum Sunday night

"The team sympathized with Ryan Reyes. The boys delivered a statement on his exit," said SLR coach Boyet Fernandez.Marlou Aquino and Kelly Williams struck hardest upon Reyes’ ouster, fuelling a mighty closing run that shattered the Beverage Masters’ bid to bits.Williams completed remarkable double-double, including grabbing a career-high 18 rebounds while Aquino churned out 19 points, seven rebounds and a conference-high tying five blocks.Before taking the exit, Reyes had gone 6-of-7 from beyond the arc and finished with 19 points, six rebounds and four assists."He’s playing well. He’s one of the future stars of the league. I hope Ryan is okay," said Fernandez.Taking Reyes’ exit as a rallying point, the Realtors worked even harder, outscoring the Beverage Masters in the final canto, 32-21.Sta. Lucia was ahead by only 11 at 67-56 when Reyes had to call it a night.Williams took a steal and slammed home right at the resumption of play. Aquino later joined the fray, firing 13 points in the quarter, including a rare trey.When the demolition job was over, the Realtors found themselves assured of at least a playoff crack for second place at the close of the double-round elims.Sta. Lucia goes for an outright semis entry in its final assignment against Air21.Magnolia moved out of the race for the outright semis seats after suffering an eighth loss against nine wins. The Beverage Masters will now just try to salvage automatic entry into the quarters."We’ve achieved our original goal which was just the Magic Five. If ever we make it to the semis outright, it’s just the icing on the cake," said Fernandez.Winning 11 games so far in the elims is also a franchise record for Sta. Lucia. The Realtors nailed it while limiting the Beverage Masters to their lowest output in a game this season.Reyes rifled in five triples while Williams had eight points and the same number of rebounds as the Realtors established control early and took a 48-36 bubble at the turn.Williams scored on a two-handed follow-up jam following a miss by Dennis Espino, highlighting a 6-0 closing run that gave Sta. Lucia a 30-14 lead after the first period. (NC)


scores:
Sta. Lucia 99 – Williams 21, Reyes 19, Aquino 19, Omolon 13, Espino 10, Miranda 8, Yeo 3, Butel 2, Gonzales 2, Mendoza 2, Mamaclay 0, Coronel 0

Magnolia 77 – Pena 17, Seigle 15, Tugade 10, Tenorio 9, Gonzales 9, Hontiveros 6, Wilson 4, Villanueva 4, Racela 2, Villanueva J. 1, Calaguio

Quarterscores: 30-14, 48-36, 67-56, 99-77.



TEAM STANDINGS
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Purefoods 12 - 4
Sta Lucia 11 - 6

Alaska 10- 7

Redbull 9-7

Magnolia 9-8

Talk n text 8-8

Brgy Ginebra 8-9

Air21 6-10

Coca Cola 6-10

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Welcoat 3-13