Boosted by the latest trade that brought one of the rising stars in the pro league, Air21 kept its playoff bid alive as it hammered a masterful 94-82 win over Purefoods in the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup wildcard last night at the Araneta Coliseum.
The Express welcomed high-flying guard Cyrus Baguio to their fold with this important win that forced another do-or-die game against San Miguel Beer.
Guard Gary David led Air21 with 20 points, while wingman Arwind Santos finished with double-double 13 points and 11 rebounds. Playmaker Wynne Arboleda also had a solid game with 17 points and six assists.
Air21 and SMB will face-off on Sunday (Jan. 4, 2009).
"When I was watching the two contenders, nakita ko 'yung firepower ng San Miguel," Air21 mentor Bo Perasol said. "Magkakaroon kami ng mismatch sa bigs nila, but sa wings makaka-matchup kami very well."
"Pero it's the same, if we can have the same intensity on defense, magkakaroon kami ng kumpiyansa sa opensa naming," he added.
The winner will advance to the best-of-three quarterfinals against Fiesta Cup champion Barangay Ginebra. Clashing in the other quarterfinals pairing are defending champion Sta. Lucia Realty and surprising Rain or Shine.
Alaska and Talk 'N Txt are already in the semifinals earning outright berths for finishing with the best two records at the end f the elimination phase.
Protecting a five-point lead, 19-14, the Express slowly but surely pulled away with David scoring nine points in the second period to take a 48-37 halftime advantage. The lead reached the 20-point mark in the third period.
An altercation between Purefoods' James Yap and assistant coach Koy Banal occurred with seven minutes left in the fourth with Air21 up, 80-62, allegedly on defensive lapses by the Giants.
The Express led by as many as 24 points, 94-70, on a lay-up by Baguio late in the fourth period.
Yap led Purefoods with 26 points, but was scoreless in the fourth quarter. PBA.ph
The scores:
AIR21 94 -- David 20, Arboleda 17, Santos 13, Cruz 11, Allado 8, Baguio 6, Intal 5, Quinahan 4, Kramer 4, Canaleta 4, Billones 2, Sta. Maria 0.
PUREFOODS 82 -- J. Yap 26, Villanueva 17, Raymundo 14, Lanete 9, Alvarez 6, Simon 5, Aban 3, Belga 2, Robinson 0, R. Yap 0.
Quarterscores: 19-14, 48-37, 72-58, 94-82.
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