Ildefonso moves Petron to brink of PHL Cup Finals

Danny Ildefonso relived his former glory days to help Petron run off with an 85-82 comeback win over Talk 'N Text to move the Boosters closer to clinching the first Finals berth in the 37th PBA Philippine Cup Wednesday night at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum. Ildefonso's game-long brilliance helped Petron erase Talk 'N Text's double-digit lead that pushed the Boosters to a 3-1 lead in their best-of-seven semifinals series against the reigning All-Filipino Conference champions.

"They played with a lot of composure and didn’t panic especially Danny Ildefonso," said Petron coach Ato Agustin, who praised the Boosters’ team captain. "Come playoff time he (Ildefonso) knows what to do. Danny I , is Danny I." The 35-year-old former National University King Bulldog scored 22 points on 11-of-14 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds, his finest game since finishing with the same output in Magnolia's 114-108 loss to Coca-Cola on December 12, 2007. "We need one more win. We have to focus on Friday’s game," said Agustin. "There's a tendency that the players would relax when a team enjoys a 3-1 series lead." "They need to stay focus. It's a best-of-seven series and we need four wins to seal the deal," added Agustin. The Texters enjoyed a 50-40 spread early in the third and are still up by six, 66-60, after three quarters when the Boosters made their move at the start of the final canto. An Ildefonso jumper capped a 7-0 spurt as Petron grabbed the lead early in the fourth. There were several lead changes from there with Ildefonso burying the crucial shots that kept the game close. Petron Rookie Chris Lutz, who finished with 13 points, made two free throws that gave the Boosters a three-point cushion, 85-82, in the final 9.3 seconds of the game. The Texters had the chance to send the game into overtime but Ranidel De Ocampo and Jimmy Alapag missed consecutive three-point tries. "All we need is to win on Friday. We need to find a way to win," said Talk 'N Text mentor Chot Reyes. Joseph Yeo had 13 markers while Alex Cabagnot, who went 0-for-6 in the opening period, finished with eight points and had 10 assists. Ryan Reyes tallied 17 points while De Ocampo had 15 markers.  — JVP, GMA News Scores: Petron  85—Ildefonso 22, Lutz 13, Yeo 13, Cabagnot 8, Santos 7, Reyes 6, Sharma 6, Miranda 5, Tugade 3, Baclao 2.