Dragon-slaying Air21 shocks San Miguel Beer to reach semis
Ageless center Asi Taulava extended Air21's life and it's only fitting he was responsible in delivering the killer blows on San Miguel Beermen.
The 41-year-old yet still very durable slotman came up big down the stretch as the No. 7 Express repeated over the second-ranked Beermen Friday night with a 100-95 double overtime win to advance to the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
Like a vintage wine that gets better as it ages, Taulava saved Air21 from the jaws of defeat with a game-tying putback at the buzzer in regulation then threw his full weight around in the second five-minute extension to complete their stunner over the favored Sab Miguel Beer side.
The 6-foot-9 Taulava, a former league MVP, went on to finish with 16 points, five of them coming in the second overtime, on top of nine rebounds and three blocks while getting enough support from the likes of import Wes Witherspoon, locals Sean Anthony and Mac Cardona in their mighty charge from a 71-81 deficit with two minutes left in regulation.
More than gaining a fitting follow-up to their equally impressive 92-79 victory in the series opener last Monday and essaying their first back-to-back wins in three conferences, the Express also barged to their first semis stint in franchise history and will take on either No.3 Alaska or No. 6 San Mig Super Coffee in a race-to-three affair.
Meanwhile, the Beermen suffered another disappointing end to a promising campaign while heading into another off-season under a cloud of uncertainties.
San Miguel Beer, however, had nothing to blame but itself as it failed to protect what seemed to be a comfortable 10-point cushion late in regulation and completely bombed out in the critical stretch.
Guard Chris Ross, who figured in a heated altercation with counterpart Joseph Yeo that saw the Express playmaker getting ejected with a flagrant foul 2, had the big chance to help Beermen pull through in the first OT but managed only to split a pair of freebies that pegged the count at 88-apiece, eventually sending the emotionally-charged match into another five minutes of play.
From there, it was all Express. Pouncing on the absence of SMB center June Mar Fajardo due to foul woes, Taulava sparked a 7-2 run in the first three minutes then anchored the Express' interior defense that made life miserable for the Beermen.
SMB still entertained hopes of a big comeback when import Kevin Jones turned Arwind Santos miss into an easy putback, enabling them to pull within 95-99 with 10.5 seconds.
The Express, off a timeout, then turned the ball over in an inbound play but Santos opted for a triple that went wide left, resulting to Air21 guard Jonas Villanueva's split to seal the final tally.
The Main Man: After seven years, Asi Taulava finally made it back to the semis as he typified the Express' resolute stance on both ends.
Honorable Mentions: Helping ease the load off Taulava's shoulders were import Wes Witherspoon, Sean Anthony and Mac Cardona.
Game Turning Point: With Fajardo watching helplessly from the sidelines, Taulava asserted himself at will in the paint in the second OT, pumping in five points while helping stymie every Beermen attack.
He Said It:
Air21 coach Franz Pumaren: "We overachieved already. I hope my players won't be satisfied that we got to the semis."
The scores:
AIR 21 101 - Witherspoon 26, Anthony 18, Taulava 16, Yeo 11, Villanueva 8, Ramos 8, Cardona 8, Poligrates 5, Borboran 1, Burtscher 0, Menor 0.
SAN MIGUEL BEER 95 - Jones 23, Fajardo 20, Ross 18, Santos 16, Lassiter 12, Hubalde 2, Lutz 2, Marcado 2, Maierhofer 0, Tubid 0, Lanete 0, Kramer 0.
Quarters: 21-17, 40-43, 56-65, 82-82, 88-88 (1OT), 101-95 (2OT)
