MAHINDRA’s smallest guys stood tallest in stunning Phoenix, 122-121, in overtime to keep its flickering playoff hopes alive in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup on Sunday night at the Mall of Asia Arena.
LA Revilla kept the Floodbuster afloat with his clutch baskets in regulation before Reden Celda came through with the biggest play in the extra session as his floater lifted the team to only their third win in 10 games.
The Floodbuster also inched closer to the Fuel Masters, endangering their victims’ postseason bid after suffering their sixth loss in 10 games.
“I think we’re going to need some help from other teams…but it’s a good situation to be statistically still in it someway, somehow considering the kind of up and down season we had,” Mahindra coach Chris Gavina said.
And the young coach has his young playmakers to thank as Revilla and Celda both produced career-high offensive performances.
Revilla registered 26 points, five assists, four boards, and two steals, firing 11 of his output in the fourth period, the last two on a teardrop over Phoenix import Jameel Mckay that knotted the count at 116 and forced overtime.
That’s when Celda took over as the rookie guard scored the Floodbuster’s first and last basket in the extra session, the second one that proved to spell the biggest difference on a night he reset his career high to 25 points.
Keith Wright anchored the the Floodbuster down low as the import tallied 18 points and 21 boards in 47 minutes.
Mckay led the Fuel Masters with an all-around showing of 18 points, 12 boards, and seven assists, the do-it-all import missed a handful of shot from close range down the stretch.
Matthew Wright cooled down after a hot first half, scoring just four points after intermission and missing a crucial three-pointer that could’ve regained the lead for Phoenix in the endgame.
The scores:
MAHINDRA 122 – Revilla 26, Celda 25, Wright 18, Camson 17, Khobuntin 13, Deutchman 6, Teng 6, Corpuz 4, Nimes 3, Salva 2, Caperal 1, Paniamogan 1, Yee 0, Ballesteros 0
PHOENIX 121 – McKay 18, Wright 17, Alolino 16, Borboran 15, Jazul 15, W. Wilson 10, Baguio 9, Intal 7, Eriobu 6, Dehesa 4, Kramer 2, Torres 2, Lanete 0
Quarterscores: 27-30, 58-62, 93-93, 116-116,122-121
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