Tigers pull away early for easy win

MANILA, Philippines - Powerade blasted off the starting block, opening a huge 30-point lead in the first half and coasting to a 98-88 win over Petron Blaze in their PBA Commissioner’s Cup road game at the Ibalong Centrum in Legazpi, Albay last night.

The Tigers jolted the Boosters, arresting a two-game slide to gain a piece of second place with the Air21 Express, the Barangay Ginebra Kings and the B-Meg Llamados on their identical 3-2 win-loss records.

The Kings and the Llamados dispute solo second as action in the mid-season tourney resumes at the Araneta Coliseum today.

Rain or Shine and Meralco both fight for survival as they clash in the day’s other game. The Elasto Painters and the Bolts both try to avoid a fifth defeat in their 4:15 p.m. faceoff.

Petron fell to joint sixth place with Alaska (3-3) as the Boosters suffered a first loss in their last four games.

The Tigers put the game away early with a torrid offense that gave them a 66-39 bulge at the half. No team has made a bigger output in a half in the tourney thus far.

Gary David and his teammates came out smoking, taking the first quarter at 41-23 in this out-of-town tiff sponsored by Phoenix Fuel.

The Tigers broke away early with David, Marcio Lassiter and import Dwayne Jones firing at least 10 points each in the opening canto.

David had piled up 20 in the first half with a three-point play he made with 1:14 left in the clock giving the Tigers a 30-point spread at 65-35.

David, Lassiter and Jvee Casio combined for six treys to highlight Powerade’s searing first half.

The Boosters groped for form badly in the first half before finding some rhythm, rallying to within 13, 68-81, after the third quarter.

Backcourt players Joseph Yeo, Alex Cabagnot and Denok Miranda fueled Petron’s third-quarter charge.

The scores:

Powerade 98 – David 25, Lassiter 23, Jones 22, Anthony 9, Casio 8, Kramer 8, Cruz 2, Vanlandingham 2, Adducul 0, Calimag 0.

Petron 88 – Fazekas 21, Miranda 19, Yeo 15, Cabagnot 13, Santos 11, Tugade 7, Agustin 2, Reyes 0, Doruelo 0.

Quarterscores: 41-23, 66-39, 81-68, 98-88