Bolts upend Aces, seal twice-to-beat

Game today (Puerto Princesa)

5 p.m. – Tropang TNT vs Mahindra

Games tomorrow (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

3 p.m. – Rain or Shine vs Blackwater

5:15 p.m. – San Miguel vs Phoenix

MANILA, Philippines - Arinze Onuaku dominated inside the paint almost throughout before Jimmy Alapag flashed his old brilliance and delivered the biggest plays at endgame as Meralco topped Alaska Milk, 107-101, to secure a quarterfinals twice-to-beat advantage in the Oppo PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last night.

Onuaku powered his way to 28 points and 19 rebounds while Alapag sizzled with a 16-point performance spiked by a key seven-point binge in the last two minutes to lift the Bolts past the Aces and into a guaranteed Top Two finish in the elimination round.

The Bolts, improving to 8-2, are assured of a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarters even if they lose their last game in the elims against the Barangay Ginebra Kings.

Meralco coach Norman Black, however, said they would go all out to beat Ginebra.

“We want to win our last game to have a momentum to ride on in the playoffs. We want to finish No. 1 and bahala na whomever we play in the quarters,” said Black.

From a 98-all count, Alapag came through with one big play after another to personally hand Alaska a fourth loss against six wins.

San Miguel Beer (6-3) clinches the other twice-to-beat edge in the quarters with a sweep of its last two games against Phoenix and Tropang TNT.

A 10-man Globalport team, under interim coach Johnedel Cardel, worked on a decisive closing game, knocking out Phoenix Petroleum in the playoff race with a shock 125-118 victory in the first game.

Shawn Taggart and Terrence Romeo carried  the load for the Batang Pier with a  combined output of 85 points as they eliminated the Fuel Masters and gave the Tropang TNT Texters (5-4) and the NLEX Road Warriors (5-5) free ride into the quarterfinals.

The Mahindra Enforcers (4-5) and Star Hotshots (4-6), meanwhile, have been left to dispute the last slot in the Final Eight. The two teams square off in a virtual knockout duel Wednesday also at the Big Dome.

Taggart powered his way to 45 points while Romeo sizzled with 40 markers as the Batang Pier ended their struggling stint in the mid-season tourney on a winning note.

Minus Stanley Pringle, Dorian Peña, Joseph Yeo, Mark Isip and Rico Maierhofer, Cardel had only eight other players at his disposal as he ended the team’s seven game losing skein and gave the Batang Pier a closing 3-8 mark.

“Pahiyang lang,” said Globalport alternate governor Erick Arejola in the team’s decision to call in Cardel to call the shots in this particular game.

“Coach Pido (Jarencio) can’t stand up as he’s hit by gout while (assistant) coach Eric (Gonzales) is busy in the D-League. I was told I was coaching only before practice (Thursday) and I’m thankful with the opportunity and the challenge,” said Cardel, a former La Salle star who had a six-year stint in the pro league with Sta. Lucia, Alaska and Shell.

“With just 11 players, I told Terrence I might give him a few rest. And I also requested him ‘baka naman pwedeng ipanalo mo ang game para sa akin.’ He did and I’m very thankful to him. I won’t forget this game,” Cardel also said.

Cardel was assisted by another fellow former Green Archer Oliver Bunyi. Both played with Globalport team owner Mikee Romero at La Salle.

Taggart went 15-of-26 from the field and also collected 18 rebounds in a monstrous double-double game leading to a first win in five games as an import sub to Calvin Warner.

Romeo was as explosive, firing away four treys, 11 twinners and six charities as he narrowly missed breaking his conference high of 41 against the Mahindra Enforcers.

Paolo Taha, Billy Mamaril, Jeric Fortuna and Keith Jensen combined for 36 markers, helping Globalport nail only a third win after earlier triumphs over Ginebra (89-85) and Tropang TNT (108-101).

The Batang Pier handed the Fuel Masters a seventh loss in their last nine games. Phoenix won’t make the quarters even if it wins in its last game against San Miguel Beer tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Tropang TNT and Mahindra both chase a spot in the Top Six as they face off in a key Petron Blaze Saturday Special at the Puerto Princesa City Coliseum in Palawan at 5 p.m.

The scores:

First Game

GLOBALPORT 125 – Taggart 45, Romeo 40, Taha 12, Mamaril 9, Fortuna 8, Jensen 7, Kramer 2, Washington 2, Semerad 0, Uyloan 0.

PHOENIX 118 – Garcia 21, Pennisi 17, Baracael 14, Wilson 13, Intal 12, Pinkney 11, Brondial 10, Monfort 9, Lanete 8, Urbiztondo 3, Knuttel 0.

Quarterscores: 34-25, 65-59, 97-87, 125-118

Second Game

MERALCO 107 – Onuaku 28, Alapag 16, Dillinger 16, Newsome 11, Buenafe Ry 7, Hodge 7, Faundo 6, Amer 5, Hugnatan 4, Buenafe Ro 3, Bono 2, Caram 2, Ferriols 0.

ALASKA 101 – Abueva 27, Manuel 13, Baguio 12, Banchero 12, Edwards 12, Jazul 12, Baclao 3, Excimiiano 3, Dela Rosa 2, Hontiveros 2, Thoss 2, Menk 1, Dela Cruz 0.

Quarterscores: 38-28, 65-54, 86-83, 107-101