Petron hands Ginebra third straight loss; Aces win

Renaldo Balkman took over in the third quarter and the rout was on for Petron Blaze Sunday night.

Proving he’s as good as advertised, Balkman went berserk in that decisive canto and helped the Boosters gain a share of second spot with a masterful 105-90 victory over slumping Barangay Ginebra in the PBA Commissioners Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

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Hardly making his presence felt in the first half, Balkman put on a jaw-dropping spectacle in the third, racking up 17 of his game-high 34 points highlighted by four thundering dunks as Petron Blaze took full command and never let up.

The Boosters, coming off a clinical 98-73 victory over sister team and defending champion San Mig Coffee last Wednesday, improved to 2-1 alongside Barako Bull and idle GlobalPort, just half-a-game adrift of pacesetting Alaska (3-0).

The Gin Kings, who will welcome former Detroit Piston Vernon Macklin in their fold in lieu of ineffective Herbert Hill, dropped further down the cellar with their third straight setback.

Towering rookie June Mar Fajardo added 18 points while Jay Washington and Arwind Santos combined for 25 markers in another balanced offensive attack by Petron.

Reigning league MVP Mark Caguioa scattered 11 of his team-high 24 points in the fourth while primary playmaker LA Tenorio added 19, 13 of those coming in the first 12 minute of play.

Hill finished his fruitless three-game stint with 16 points, 10 coming in the second canto, plus 11 rebounds and two blocks against six turnovers while getting limited action in the payoff canto.

Petron Blaze, one of the premier title contenders this season, is aching to bounce back from a disappointing seventh-place finish in the Philippine Cup and coach Olsen Racela believes they just need to be consistent on both ends.

“The team talked about consistency and that was our problem last conference. We have to come out with a lot of intensity and energy in the game. We have to be consistent in our defensive efforts every single game,” he said.

“It’s still a long way. We’re getting there but it’s still a process.

“Nagkakakumpyansa na kami ngayon because we’re winning. Pero when you’re facing adversity, ‘dun mo makikita ‘yun staying together. Every conference may dinadaanan kaming adversity, mas nakikita nila yung adversity, Petronovela nga ang tawag. We need to improve on our consistency then the wins will follow,” added the young mentor.

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Surprisingly outplayed offensively by the 6-foot-10 Hill in the second canto, Balkman played bigger than his 6-foot-8 frame in the third, displaying his NBA-caliber prowess while anchoring the Boosters back-breaking 17-4 onslaught in just five minutes for a considerable 70-50 cushion.

As the Gin Kings struggled to get their groove going, the former New York Knick and Denver Nugget sustained his slam-dunking act as the Boosters established their biggest cushion at 86-63 off a Denok Miranda floater.

Ginebra, however, got quality minutes from reserve frontliners Yousef Taha and Rico Maierhofer to start the payoff canto before Caguioa sparked the Gin Kings’ 19-9 fightback, cutting the deficit to 82-95 with 5:20 remaining.

The Boosters, however, countered back with a jarring 8-2 run, capped by Fajardo’s easy lay-in that restored their lead at 103-84 while sending the Ginebra fans to the exit with 1:39 left.

Despite his astounding performance, Balkman, who also had 10 rebounds and two blocks, still shared the compliment with his teammates, saying: “It’s not about me. I’m telling my teammates that there’s no ‘I’ in ‘team.’ We have to play together. And every time we play, we should treat it like it’s a championship game.”

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Earlier, Alaska squandered an early 17-point lead but recovered its groove just in time to upend Barako Bull 77-73.

Proving he’s a big-time player, import Robert Dozier scattered seven of his game-high 19 points in the stretch on top of 20 rebounds as the Aces clamped down defensively during a decisive 16-6 wind-up to spoil the equally-streaking Energy Cola.

With another pulsating victory, Alaska seized the solo lead anew with an unblemished 3-0 mark while Barako Bull dropped to its first assignment after three starts.

“I told our guys we gotta do it better defensively. We got to make some stops then our offense will get better,” noted Alaska coach Luigi Trillo.

Cyrus Baguio was the lone local Ace to reach double figures in points with 11 but his breakaway lay-up off a crucial steal followed by Calvin Abueva’s floater gave Alaska a 75-70 breather with 1:39 to go.

Eight seconds after, a Mark Macapagal triple cut Barako Bull’s deficit to just two then a split by Dozier made it a 76-73 count.

Barako Bull had the chance to tie it with another trey from Macapagal but his attempt didn't find the mark, only for import Brock to corral the rebound.

Brock, however, missed two big free throws then uncorked an ill-advised three-point attempt in the waning moments, hastening the Energy Cola’s downfall.
A charity split by Baguio sealed the deal with 3.3 ticks left.

Josh Urbiztondo, who stood at the forefront of the team’s third-quarter charge, collected 15 points while Brock churned out a third consecutive double-double outing with 12 markers and 15 rebounds for Barako, which failed to protect a considerable 67-61 lead in the critical juncture.

Trillo also commended his locals, saying: “Sonny (Thoss) is defending the best player at that side. He's a pillar at the post and you can see how he rubs off on his teammates. Cyrus has been our most consistent guy. He's so easy to coach he just works hard.”
 
 
The scores:
 
First Game
 
ALASKA (77) – Dozier 19, Baguio 11, Casio 9, Jazul 8, Espinas 8, Thoss 8, Abueva 4, Dela Cruz 4, Hontiveros 4, Reyes 2, Ramos 0.

BARAKO (73) – Urbiztondo 15, Brock 12, Villanueva 10, Macapagal 9, Seigle 9, Maliksi 4, Kramer 4, Allado 4, Intal 3, Pennisi 3.
Quarters: 23-17, 42-36, 59-60, 77-73
 
Second Game
 
PETRON (105) - Balkman 34, Fajardo 18, Washington 14, Santos 11, Lassiter 8, Miranda 7, Yeo 5, Cabagnot 5, Tubid 3, Sison 0, Faundo 0, Pena 0.

GINEBRA (90) - Caguioa 24, Tenorio 19, Hill 16, Maierhofer 10, Baracael 7, Taha 6, Ellis 2, Labagala 2, Mamaril 2, Raymundo 2, Espiritu 0, Helterbrand 0, Hatfield 0.
Quarters: 24-20, 51-44, 86-63, 105-90