Petron Blaze gives new-look GlobalPort rude awakening

Shorthanded and all, Petron Blaze still gave the revamped GlobalPort crew a stinging reality check.

Flaunting their dreaded offensive force to the hilt, the Boosters turned back the Batang Pier and spoiled the debut of interim head coach Ritchie Ticzon Wednesday night courtesy of a 97-87 win that set their PLDT-MyDSL PBA Philippine Cup title bid in motion at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.

Eager to make up for a disappointing finish in the Governors' Cup where they came up short against San Mig Coffee in the finals that went the full seven-game route, Petron got off to a strong start but still found GlobalPort a tough nut to crack until the usual reliables–Chris Lutz, Marcio Lassiter, June Mar Fajardo and reigning MVP Arwind Santos–took turns in delivering the big blows in the stretch.

The victory enabled the Boosters to join opening-day winners Barangay Ginebra, Rain or Shine, three-time defending champion Talk ‘N Text and surprising Barako Bull in the early lead.

Lassiter and Lutz tallied 18 points while the 6-foot-4 Santos scattered 16 markers, 10 of them coming in the first half. The 6-foot-11 Fajardo towered above the rest with a double-double performance of 15 points and 16 rebounds on top of four assists and a block for the Boosters.

Guard Sol Mercado led all scorers with 20 markers but had only three in the second while forward Jay Washington banged in 15 markers and as many rebounds but the Batang Pier still ran out of steam in the face of the Boosters’ ferocious windup.

Former UAAP MVP Terrence Romeo had a so-so debut with 13 markers in 15 attempts while fellow GlobalPort rookies RR Garcia, who even started, and Nico Salva combined for just seven points.

Even without starting playmaker Alex Cabagnot and back-up Chico Lanete, the Boosters still accounted for 27 assists and shot a 35-of-76 (46.1 percent)  from the field.

In contrast, the Batang Pier only had 14 dimes, six of them off Mercado, while shooting 33-of-89 (37.1 percent) overall.
 
The Main Man: Chris Lutz is just eager to let his game do the talking.

The 6-foot-3 Lutz quickly moved on from an embarrassing experience the last time out as he showed up with fire in his eyes, racking up 13 of his team-high 18 points in the first half.

Although he cooled off offensively in the second half, Lutz made a commendable job hounding his Sol Mercado, RR Garcia and Terrence Romeo while setting up his teammates to finish with five assists.
 
Honorable Mentions: Giving Lutz enough support was backcourt buddy Marcio Lassiter, who tallied 10 big points in the third canto, half of them sparking a decisive 9-0 run.

Also shining for the Boosters were Arwind Santos and June Mar Fajardo, who clogged the lane and stymied Batang Pier slashers at will.
 
Game Turning Point: After the Batang Pier threatened the closest at 63-68 off Eric Menk’s two freebies, the Boosters racked up nine unanswered points, five of them coming from Marcio Lassiter, spanning the third and fourth cantos that ultimately restored order and kept them in cruise control.
 
They Said It:
 
Petron Blaze head coach Gee Abanilla: “We’re happy at the same time worried about this win. We’re happy because despite some personnel problem we got this win. Unfortunately, (Yousef) Taha had an injury.”

Petron Blaze guard Chris Lutz: “We just wanted to continue to push it. At halftime, coach (Gee Abanilla) told us to continue pushing the leather. It was a tough ending (last conference) but all we can get from that is to learn and continue to play better.”

The scores:
Petron Blaze (97) – Lassiter 18, Lutz 18, Santos 16, Fajardo 15, Kramer 11, Hubalde 7, Taha 6, Ross 3, Duncil 2, Deutchman 1.

GlobalPort (87) – Mercado 20, Washington 15, Romeo 13, Najorda 10, Menk 6, Hayes 6, Belencion 4, Salvador 4, Garcia 4, Salva 3, Ponferada 2, Lingganay 0, Nabong 0.
Quarterscores: 28-18; 56-44; 75-63; 97-87.