THE PBA Philippine Cup resumed on Easter Sunday after a two-week break with a huge doubleheader at the Smart Araneta Coliseum top billed by a Manila Clasico between Barangay Ginebra and Magnolia.
The Kings made their move late in the third quarter to take control of the game against the Hotshots for an 87-77 win while San Miguel coasted to its third straight win by downing injury-hit Phoenix, 116-102.
Here are five takeaways from Sunday’s twinbill.
1) By beating Magnolia, Barangay Ginebra somehow erased the bitter taste of its one-sided loss to Meralco, 91-73, just before the All-Star and Lenten break. Coach Tim Cone wanted a statement game from his team against the Hotshots and it showed in his starting five of Christian Standhardinger, Japeth Aguilar, and Jamie Malonzo along with the explosive duo of Mav Ahanmisi and Stanley Pringle. All finished in double figures as the 3-1 Kings got back on track. Cone also got the smile back on his face. Incidentally, it was the 100th win of Ginebra against Magnolia in the 35 years of the Clasico series.
2) Magnolia absorbed its first loss in the conference after opening its campaign with a 31-point rout of Converge prior to the All-Star break. Big man Ian Sangalang continued to regain his old form for the Hotshots as his 17 points led the team against the Kings. Spitfire Jio Jalalon had a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Paul Lee and Marc Barroca had 12 and 11, respectively. Unfortunately, the team missed the services of Rome Dela Rosa and Aris Dionisio, both nursing sprained ankles. It was only the second game for the Hotshots who had a long break following the Commissioner's Cup championship series against winner San Miguel Beer.
READ Injuries hit Phoenix as RR Garcia dislocates shoulder
3) San Miguel kept its undefeated record by dumping Phoenix. The three-headed monster of CJ Perez, Terrence Romeo, and Jericho Cruz was a sight to behold for the Beermen, combining for 65 of the team’s total. Big man June Mar Fajardo coasted along in a supporting role with 13 points and 12 rebounds as San Miguel flashed its might as the defending all-Filipino champion. Next for the Beermen are the Barangay Ginebra Kings.
4) Injury appeared to be the name of the game for Phoenix. As if the absence of Tyler Tio and Raoul Soyud were not enough, veteran guard RR Garcia added to the list after dislocating his shoulder early in the game against San Miguel. He played just 47 seconds. The Fuel Masters have now lost two in a row for a 1-4 record putting them in a two-way tie for 10th place with Rain or Shine.
5) Japeth Aguilar and CJ Perez picked up from where they left off in the PBA All-Star game after leading Barangay Ginebra and San Miguel to rousing wins on the final Sunday of March. Voted as co-MVPs of the All-Star together with Robert Bolick, Aguilar was the second best scorer for the Kings with 16 points to go with nine rebounds as the 37-year-old big man appeared to be getting a second wind in his career. Perez meanwhile, exploded for a season-high 32 points in the win over Phoenix. The output is the third best in his pro career and came as a fitting follow-up to his 39-point performance for Team Mark during the All-Star game.
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