San Miguel scores first win - April 4, 2007

By JAY R. GOTERA

The Saudi Gazette

MANILA

SAN Miguel finally broke into the win column after seven games, beating Talk ‘N Text, 108-103, Wednesday night in PBA Fiesta Conference at the Araneta Coliseum.

The firepower of San Miguel’s Paul McMillan proved too much for the Phone Pals as they fell to 3-4 in the standings in a tie with Coca-Cola for fifth and sixth places.

McMillan scored 41 points and collected 18 rebounds as he shrugged off early foul trouble to help San Miguel notch only its first win in 11 games going back to the best-of-seven finals of the last PBA Philippine Cup where it lost to Barangay Ginebra after winning the first two games of the series.

Olsen Racela also played a crucial role in San Miguel’s victory as he knocked in 13 points, including three three-pointers in the second half which stymied the rallying Phone Pals.

In the first game, Air21 routed Alaska, 116-104, as the Express tied the Aces and the Kings at second place on a 5-2 card.

Gary David spearheaded Air21’s offense as he fired a a game-high 27 points.

The Express dominated the game from late in the first quarter on, erecting as much as a 22-point lead before allowing the Aces to come no closer than 12 points the rest of the way.

Wynne Arboleda also took credit for the win, scoring all his 16 points in the third quarter on a perfect 6-for-6 from the field. Arboleda’s heroics enabled the Express to increase its lead to as much as 21 points.

Alaska, which ended a 3-game win streak, suffered its worst loss in more than a year, or since a 91-73 beating at the hands of Purefoods in last season’s Philippine Cup.

Rosell Ellis tallied 38 points–his highest since scoring 46 for Coca-Cola in 2001–and 14 rebounds but it still proved not enough for Alaska.

The scores:

Air21 116 – David 27, Daniels 19, Arboleda 16, Santos 14, Telan 14, Canaleta 10, Se 8, Dimaunahan 4, Torion 4, Andaya 0, Bernardo 0.

Alaska 104 – Ellis 38, Thoss 16, Miller 14, Hugnatan 8, Ferriols 8, Cariaso 8, Laure 6, Luanzon 2, Bajar 2, Belasco 2, Aban 0, Castro 0, Juinio 0.

Quarterscores: 32-24, 61-44, 97-82, 116-104.

Meanwhile, the Philippine national basketball squad rallied from 18 point down to defeat ABA Hollywood Fame, an American team beefed up by former NBA players, 98-81, in the team’s first tuneup game in Carson City, California.

Fame was led by Bryon Russel, a 6’7” former Los Angeles and Utah forward.

The Filipinos missed their first four shots and quickly trailed by double digits as Jimmy Johnson, 6-foot-5 Billy Knight, 6’6 Mo Spillers, 6’9 Ron Mingo and Russel dominated the inside and surprised the visitors with their deft outside shooting.

Fame further hammered the Filipinos with 6’9 John Nortridge, who combined with Jamaal Kendricks in opening an 18-point lead early in the second quarter.

But before the half ended, Asi Taulava, Danny Seigle, Mick Pennisi, Renren Ritualo and Jayjay Helterbrand started connecting.

Ritualo and Pennisi engineered a scorching rally that wiped out the deficit as Fame went into the locker room holding only a one-point edge, 51-50.

The second half was the Philippines all the way with Pennisi and Dondon Hontiveros delivering long-distance bombs and Helterbrand shredding the Fame defense in setting up Tony dela Cruz at the perimeter.

The Americans trailed by 10 at the start of the fourth quarter and went into a full-court press which the Filipinos easily broke down with superb ball-handling.