PBA D-League: Boracay Rum buries PC Gilmore, secures playoffs slot

"Both teams are fighting for their lives. We can't make excuses anymore. Lalaban na talaga kami to get the magic number five,” said Boracay Rum head coach Lawrence Chongson, before his team notched their fifth win in the PBA D-League Aspirants Cup.

 

The Waves did in fact escape elimination after beating the PC Gilmore Wizards, 71-41, on Tuesday at the San Juan Gym.

 

Boracay Rum has now secured a playoffs slot with a 5-5 win-loss record. PC Gilmore, on the other hand, sank to 4-6.

 

While the Waves had the height and brawn, momentum was with the Wizards. The latter were coming off a four-game winning streak, whereas the Waves were on a three-game slump.  

As it turned out, PC Gilmore trailed by 30 points for most of the second half.

 

Glenn Khobuntin led the Waves in the first half, pumping in 10 points on 5-of-6 field goal shooting.

 

He was backed up by STI stalwart Mac Sabellina who did the dirty work on defense as he grabbed both offensive and defensive rebounds.

 

Jett Vidal and Je Agas teamed up to try to salvage the day for the Wizards and the duo was able to trimmed the lead to five, 17-12, in the second quarter.

 

However, Boracay Rum found its rhythm beyond the arc with Kokoy Hermosisima shooting back-to-back three-pointers. He sparked a 21-3 run to give the Waves a comfortable 20-point halftime spread, 38-18.

 

Hermosisima and Stephen Siruma combined for 12 points in the third quarter to stretch their lead to as much as 34 points, 58-24.

The Wizards, on the other hand, continued to commit turnovers and struggled from the field. The Waves' tight defense also shut down the Wizards' three-point game. Perennial outside shooters struggled, as Vidal was held to just one trey, while Macky Acosta shot blanks. Despite occasional sparks of brilliance from Paolo Taha, Robby Celiz and Melo Lim, the deficit already ballooned to too large a number to make a late comeback.  

Hermosisima, a former National University Bulldog, led the Waves with 16 points, three rebounds and six assists. — AMD/JVP, GMA News