Magnolia nips NLEX
MAGNOLIA needed extra minutes to get past NLEX in the deciding match of their PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinal series, scoring a 112-106 victory on Sunday at the MOA Arena.
Paul Lee sent the game into overtime, nailing a a triple with 11.1 seconds left in regulation. Jio Jalalon then took over as the No. 3 seed Hotshots advanced to the round of four.
Ian Sangalang scored 24 points, Lee finished with 21 and Jalalon added 16 for Magnolia.
Calvin Oftana led NLEX with 32 points, Don Trollano added 22 and Kevin Alas scored 17.
The Hotshots take on No. 2 TNT in the semifinals.
Bolts overcome Gin Kings
MERALCO became the only the team from the bottom half of the quarterfinal field to advance to the round of four in the PBA Philippine Cup, toppling fourth seed Ginebra with a 106-104 squeaker in the decider of their best-of-three series.
Chris Newsome had 21 points, while Aaron Black added 17 as the fifth-seeded Bolts advanced to a semifinal showdown with top seed San Miguel.
Ginebra makes an early exit from the season-opening conference after winning the title in the Governors’ Cup.
Scottie Thompson scored 26 and Christian Standhardinger had 23 points and Japeth Aguilar added 21 for the Gin Kings.
LA Tenorio fumes at ref
LA Tenorio was disgusted with the officiating in the deciding match of the quarterfinal between Ginebra and Meralco, blaming a referee for the ugly ending of what was an exciting game.
“Huwag ninyo na ako munang interbiyuhin baka ano lang masabi ko sa officiating,” said a fuming Tenorio after the Kings lost MVP Scottie Thompson in the endgame due to a foul, with Ginebra down by only two.
“Pero sabihin ninyo sa kanya….,” Tenorio added, uttering words that were unprintable.
“Siya nag-decide ng laro,” Tenorio said. “Ang ganda-ganda ng laro, e.”
The 38-year-old Ginebra guard confronted referee Peter Balao during a timeout after an offensive foul was called on Thompson who was trying to move to the basket past Meralco’s Cliff Hodge on a fastbreak.
Prince Caperal Flagrant foul
THE PBA has ruled upon review that Prince Caperal committed a flagrant foul in Game Two of the Meralco-Ginebra quarterfinal series.
The Kings forward will be fined at least P5,000 for a flagrant foul one for hitting Chris Newsome with an elbow, a contact that was missed by game officials. Newsome posted a video of the contact on social media a day after the game.
The PBA Commissioner's Office suspended Janine Nicandro, the referee who missed the infraction.
The league has yet to decide on the Christian Standhardinger-Franky Johnson incident during warmups prior to Game Two.
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