CADY Lalanne won over Jaylen Johnson in the showdown between the top two teams so far in the PBA 50th Season Commissioner's Cup.
Along the way, the imports exchanged sweet nothings, while also banging bodies in the paint, as Lalanne had 21 points, 14 rebounds, two assists, and three blocks and Johnson had 17 points, 15 rebounds, eight assists, and two blocks.
But it was Lalanne who got to celebrate a win after JB Bahio knocked down a baseline jumper with 0.3 seconds to give NLEX a 92-90 triumph over Rain or Shine.
READ: As JB Bahio savors winning moment, Berto watches on proudly
Things got intense between the two to the point that Johnson was called for a technical foul for taunting, drawing cheers from the crowd at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
But for the two reinforcements, the trash-talking was nothing personal, adding they enjoyed the verbal back-and-forth.
“I love it,” said Lalanne, who had played against Johnson before in the Big3, a 3-on-3 league in the U.S. “Because he brings out the competitor in me. He is a competitor himself.”
“He made me work and vice versa. Jaylen is a great player. He brings in a lot of energy and high motor which is great to play against.”
Game respects game
For his part, Johnson said, “We know each other. That's my guy. When we are on the court, there are no friends.”
“Kudos to him though. Good job out there. That's my dawg. It's all love.”
More than the individual battle, Lalanne is glad the Road Warriors eked out the victory that tied them at first in the standings with the Elasto Painters.
“It was a great win, much-needed win against a really good team. Rain or Shine, they have great players over there, they play hard, that's why they are the No. 1 team in the league for a while. But it was a great win for us. We executed the game plan, played hard, got the win,” he said of their now-8-2 record.
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