Aces ride on Casio's hot hands to nip TNT
Not even a red-hot Talk 'N Text crew can stop the resurgent Alaska Aces.
Playing like a man possessed in the stretch, JVee Casio scooped in the game-clinching lay-up with 2.4 seconds left to help Alaska rise from the depths with an enthralling 94-92 come-from-behind stunner over erstwhile unscathed Talk ‘N Text Friday night to seize solo second in the 38th PBA Philippine Cup at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
Standing a mere 5-foot-10, Casio stood tallest among the fielded players in the crunch, drilling in 12 of his game-high 25 points to help the Aces complete their fightback from 11 points down and, in the process, extend their winning surge to five for a 5-2 slate.
High-flying Cyrus Baguio also came up big in the payoff period, clustering seven of his 16 points, while rookie Calvin Abueva, who fouled out with 46.6 ticks left, added 14 markers and center Sonny Thoss chipped in 13.
But it was clearly Casio who saved the day for the Aces.
“Hindi ko nga alam,” said the grinning Casio, who had four assists and six triples, when asked about his sudden offensive blitzkrieg in the fourth. “Swerte na rin siguro at sh-um-oot ang mga tira ko.”
“We didn’t give up and we played as a team,” added the heady playmaker, who was tabbed the No. 1 pick in the 2011 PBA draft and was acquired in the off-season in a blockbuster trade that forced the Aces to give away star guard LA Tenorio.
Even Alaska coach Luigi Trillo scrambled to express the fitting words suited for Casio’s late-game heroics, saying: “Jvee Casio, what can you say? He made us look good and single-handedly (carried us) like that.”
“It’s nice to see them scratch and claw. It builds character for this kind of team,” he added.
The Tropang Texters had the chance to tie–or even win–the thrilling battle, but the right elbow jumper of Larry Fonacier off Jimmy Alapag’s inbound pass rimmed out as time expired, sending the Alaska faithful into a frenzy.
TNT, the defending champion, suffered its first defeat after streaking to six victories.
Flashing its well-balanced offensive attack, the Aces led by as many as 32-20 off an RJ Jazul basket in the second quarter and practically dictated the tempo, until Talk ‘N Text found its groove in the third, dropping a 28-point explosion for a 73-68 cushion going into the fourth.
While the Tropang Texters–as expected–showed poise under duress, the Aces appeared to lose their composure, with assistant coach Topex Robinson and Trillo incurring technical fouls that helped TNT extend its lead to 83-72, with 6:04 left.
Just when the Aces seemed headed for a downfall, Baguio clustered seven straight points before Casio took over in a telling 15-3 fightback.
Casio initially completed a rare four-point play off a Jason Castro foul, then Fonacier drilled in a trey and the former La Salle guard racked up two more triples, pushing the Aces ahead 87-86 with 2:08 left.
Casio nearly turned the goat as he fouled a jump-shooting Alapag, who sank three free throws followed by a Kelly Williams’ split charities for a 90-87 TNT lead, time down to just 1:24.
Abueva then tied the game anew with a triple from the top of the key but fouled–his sixth–a speeding Williams in the other end, with the former MVP making his two charities for a 92-90 cushion.
Williams, however, canceled out his efforts as he committed a goal-tending violation against Baguio, forging a 92-all count with 28.6 seconds remaining.
After Ranidel de Ocampo muffed his baseline jumper, the Aces immediately sued for time and mapped out the eventual game-winning play.
With Thoss freeing him up off a good screen, Casio got the inbound pass and quickly drove hard to the lane, extending his right arm for a lay-up against the outstretched arms of Williams, pegging the final count with 2.4 ticks left.
“It was a nice screen by Sonny to get Jvee free,” stated Trillo. “They did the playing out there. I trusted Jvee and I trusted Sonny. They did the playing.
“We’re also lucky. Coach Norman put a good play in the end. Sometimes it’s just like that, breaks. No joke going up against Jason Castro and Jimmy Alapag. Those were just breaks and that’s basketball.”
Earlier, Air21 pulled the rug from under fancied Petron Blaze 97-76.
Mark Isip dished out a solid outing of 22 points and seven rebounds while reserve center Rob Reyes added 17 markers and six boards as the Express surprisingly carved out a lopsided victory–just their second in seven starts–against the favored Boosters, who saw their two-game win-run snapped and drop to 3-4.
"My coaching staff made a very good preparation and scouted pretty well,” stated Air21 coach Franz Pumaren. “We maximized the mismatches. If you notice, it was a very different Air21 from a while ago. We were very aggressive and we outworked them.
“Rob gave us a big lift. He’s now assuming the leadership (for the team) in terms of being vocal. I think he’s tailor-fit for us right now because of his physical presence and defensive presence. Of course, his offensive game is something else,” he added.
Arwind Santos tallied 15 points while Chris Lutz churned in 13 and playmaker Alex Cabagnot had 11 for the Boosters but those proved not enough to stop the unexpectedly inspired Express, who also spoiled the 42nd birthday celebration of Petron Blaze coach Olsen Racela.
The scores:
First Game
Air21 97 – Isip 22, Reyes 17, Custodio 12, Canaleta 12, Omolon 11, Baclao 9, Wilson 5, Taha 4, Arboleda 3, Ritualo 2, Atkins 0.
Petron Blaze 76 – Santos 15, Lutz 13, Cabagnot 11, Washington 9, Mallari 6, Yeo 6, Lassiter 5, Lanete 4, Pena 4, Miranda 3, Sison 0, Duncil 0.
Quarterscores: 34-23, 48-42, 79-58, 97-76
Second Game
Alaska 94 – Casio 25, Baguio 16, Abueva 14, Thoss 13, Jazul 8, Baracael 6, Hontiveros 6, Espinas 4, Reyes 2, Dela Cruz 0, Belasco 0.
Talk ‘N Text 92 – Alapag 17, De Ocampo 15, Reyes 13, Williams 13, Peek 11, Castro 10, Fonacier 5, Gamalinda 3, Aban 3, Carey 2.
Quarterscores: 29-20, 52-45, 68-73, 94-92
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