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Saturday, January 07, 2006
Tigers overcome SMB in OT, 85-82
The Coca-Cola Tigers forged a winner-take-all match versus the San Miguel Beermen today after they outlasted the latter in overtime yesterday, 85-82, in their survival playoff of the San Mig Coffee-PBA Fiesta Conference at the Cuneta Astrodome.
With their backs against the wall, the boys of Tigers coach Binky Favis lived up to their monicker as they brought the survival playoff to even ground against the Beermen, who once held a twice-to-beat edge in this encounter.
Wildcard
The winner today will advance into the wildcard phase versus the Air21 Express while the loser will bid goodbye to its campaign in this conference.
Coca-Cola import Omar Thomas carried the bulk of the Tigers’ scoring and rebounding load as he banged in 34 markers, grabbed 20 rebounds and made five assists to snare the Best Player of the Game award.
The Tigers, who are avoiding a second straight last-place finish in a tourney, showed more hunger in the regulation period as they led the Beermen at the end of each of the first three periods.
Coca-Cola established its biggest lead in the game, 58-47, inside the 4:23 mark of the third canto but the Beermen managed to trim this down to just six, 54-60, entering the last phase.
The scoring consistency of the Tigers stayed on in the final period as they led mostly in the early minutes until San Miguel evened the count at 71-all with 3:50 left after import Kwan Johnson initiated a short but telling 8-0 burst.
Crucial trey
Rookie Dennis Miranda scored a booming trey in the last 2:26 to give the Tigers a three-point breather but a split charity from Johnson and a twinner by Dorian Peña again tied the count at 76-all, to send the game into overtime.
Cebuano Dale Singson scored the most telling blow against his former team as he managed to evade Beermen’s Olsen Racela and fired a jumper from the left flank with 12.7 seconds to go, to give the Tigers a three-point lead that turned out to be the final score as the Beermen failed to respond in time.
Billy Mamaril also doled out a marvelous performance for the Tigers as he logged in a double-double effort while the losing San Miguel was paced by Johnson, who scored 32 points. (JSV) |
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