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Air21 grabs 3-2 lead, nears title
Source : Staff   
Saturday, 16 August 2008 13:31

The series touted to be one filled with offense took on a defensive complexion last night with Air21 choking Barangay Ginebra silly in the moments that mattered in the end as the Express moved within another victory of bagging the Smart-Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Fiesta Cup.

Arwind Santos stood out in a low-scoring 76-73 victory, coming up with two crucial stops while scoring the Express’ final three points which moved the over-achieving franchise within a breath of its first title at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.

Santos also put the cuffs on Mark Caguioa, preventing Ginebra’s “Spark” from exploding when the Gin Kings needed him and holding him down to a championship-series low seven points.

Air21 was also actually held down below 80 points for the second straight game, the first time in five years it has happened to the offense-oriented Express. But the difference last night was that they were also able to make stops and convert at the clutch.

Santos had all of those three points inside the final 43.3 seconds, the first two markers coming after he picked an Eric Menk pass to Caguioa to score on a coast-to-coast lay-up that shattered the game’s last tie at 73.

On the other end, the MVP runner-up then forced Caguioa to throw up an off-balanced shot that missed the target badly which gave possession back to the Express with under 30 seconds remaining.

And after Chris Alexander traveled on Ginebra’s potential game-tying play, Santos was sent to the stripe with 1.4 ticks to go and promptly hit the second of two free throws to round out scoring.

“There really was no doubt in my mind that my players would be getting back at Ginebra,” coach Bo Perasol told reporters later. “I did not assure any victory, but just [wanted to] get back at them and be a better team tonight.”

Air21 took the floor last night smarting from a 90-77 loss. Game 6 is scheduled at the venue Perasol said he wants the clincher to be held—at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City—this Sunday.

A Santos jumper off the glass that finished a 4-on-3 break gave the Express a 45-38 lead heading into the final minute of the first half. It was a shot that partially silenced the partisan Ginebra crowd.

The Kings surged ahead by 10 early, with a Junthy Valenzuela basket giving them a 13-3 lead and control for most of the first 24 minutes. That was until the Express, despite Arboleda being hobbled by four fouls coming off the bench, got everything going.

Arboleda was made to come off the bench for the first time in the series and was clearly out of synch once he stepped in. But Egay Billones, who got the call to start, responded fairly well and quarterbacked Air21 decently.

Steven Thomas and Gary David scored 15 points each to pace the Express, while Alexander had 21 to lead all Ginebra scorers.

Meanwhile, former University of Santo Tomas swingman Cyrus Baguio will get the maximum salary of P350,000 a month in the second year of a two-year extension the Barako will offer him in the next few days.

But, team management is preparing itself for the worst, and that is losing their leading local scorer and top crowd draw Baguio through an offer sheet that they cannot match.

“If a team gives him an offer sheet, complete with signing bonus and other perks, we might not be able to match it,” Red Bull team manager and board chairman Tony Chua said Friday.

“Were ready to do practically everything possible to keep him, but ultimately, he has the final say.”

Baguio, who became the team’s top local after management lost Enrico Villanueva, Larry Fonacier, Junthy Valenzuela and Lordy Tugade to lopsided trades before the start of the season, has been without a contract since last July 31.

The scores:

AIR21 76 — Thomas 15, David 15, Santos 12, Se 12, Billones 10, De Ocampo 6, Canaleta 4, Arboleda 2, Kramer 0, Cruz 0, Intal 0.

BARANGAY GINEBRA 73 — Alexander 21, Menk 11, Valenzuela 10, Tubid 7, Caguioa 7, Artadi 6, Pacana 4, Crisano 4, Salvacion 3, Mamaril 0, Reavis 0.

Quarters: 19-26, 45-38, 57-54, 76-73
 
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