MAHINDRA RUNS OVER NLEX
Game Today (Tubod, Lanao del Norte) 5 p.m. – Star vs Global-Port Games Tomorrow (Ynares Sports Center, Antipolo City) 4:30 p.m. – Blackwater vs Rain or Shine 6:45 p.m. – Phoenix Fuel vs TNT Ka Tropa
Mahindra import James White had another stellar performance but it was the Floodbuster’s locals that did most of the damage in the final frame to defeat the struggling NLEX Road Warriors, 89-81, in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup last night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
White fired 30 points and grabbed 23 rebounds, although guard LA Revilla and veteran forward Mark Yee came through with clutch baskets for Mahindra in the final stretch.
Protecting a 76-70 lead with less than seven minutes to play, Yee connected a booming three-point shot that gave the team a 79-70 lead with 6:23 remaining in the game, and then followed it up with a jump shot to make it 81-70 with 5:15 left to play.
Revilla, a member of the Gilas Pilipinas national team training pool, drilled in a three-point shot of his own from the top of the key, which gave them an 84-70 lead with 3:52 to go.
The win put Mahindra on the win column after it dropped its first two games with setbacks to Meralco (94-86) and Rain or Shine (99-95) during the opening week of the midseason conference.
White, a returning import who averages 31.5 points this conference, was 12-of-18 from the field and scored 13 points in the first quarter. Though no other Mahindra player scored in double digit, Arana, Revilla, Gary David and Reden Celda all had nine points.
As for NLEX, the team fell to 0-3 this conference, and 0-7 dating back to the Warriors’ last four defeats in the previous Philippine Cup.
NLEX’s 0-3 start was the worst for coach Yeng Guiao since his former squad – the now-defunct Red Bull – had a similar 0-3 record and the start of the Philippine Cup back in 2009.
Mahindra’s acting coach Chris Gavina, who is calling the shots in the absence of player/coach Sen. Manny Pacquiao, said that it was all about making executions – offensively and defensively.
“We’ve moved past our previous mistakes, missed assignments and lack of executions,” said Gavina, “It’s about maximizing and talents, going to our strengths like getting James to high percentage shots.”
Meantime, Tony Mitchell hopes to impress fans down south as the Star Hotshots shoot for their second victory tonight against the Globalport Batang Pier in Tubod, Lanao del Norte.
The former Detroit Pistons player dazzled in his debut last Wednesday, scoring 24 points with 16 rebounds to give the Hotshots a 101-82 victory over the Phoenix Fuel Masters at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Mitchell lived up to his billing as the most explosive import of the current batch, something he hopes to continue in the Petron Saturday Special game set at 5 p.m.
“We want out with a bang and came up with a win. That’s more important,” Mitchell said after Wednesday’s win. “It was an okay win for us. But we need to keep practicing hard and keep on competing, keep playing.”
So far, Mitchell, who also had stints in the NBA D-League before coming over, has drawn rave reviews from Star coach Chito Victolero and the rest of the team.
While Mitchell gave an impressive opening act, Batang Pier import Sean Williams looks to rebound from his so-so performance in their 10779 loss to the Alaska Aces exactly a week ago at the Cuneta Astrodome.
Williams, who played three seasons for the New Jersey Nets, produced 18 points and 19 rebounds but struggled against the Aces.
The good news for Globalport is that Terrence Romeo, the league’s top scorer at 28 points per game, returns to action after missing the game because of sickness. The Scores:
MAHINDRA 89 – White 30, Revilla 9, Celda 9, David 9, Arana 9, Mallari 7, Yee 5, Paniamogan 3, Galanza 3, Deutchman 2, Apinan 2, Salva 1, Ballsteros 0.
NLEX 81 – Chism 28, Rios 15, Camson 8, Soyud 7, Lnete 6, Alas 5, Taulava 4, Lastimosa 2, Tiongson 2, Guinto 2, Khobuntin 2, Baracael 0, Monfort 0, J. Villanueva 0. Quarters: 24-18, 44-34, 68-62, 89-81.(With a report from Jonas Terrado)