PBA: Fazekas' 42 helps Boosters ground Express

Nick Fazekas exploded for a season-high 45 points to power Petron to a 102-88 triumph over Air21 in Wednesday's PBA Commissioner's Cup at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum. The import was a monster on both ends of the floor for the Boosters, who won their second straight to even their record at 2-2. He shot 14-of-21 from the floor, snared 22 rebounds and ignited a pivotal run that sealed Petron's win. His total output broke the 42-point production of Powerade's Gary David, who poured it all during the Philippine Cup's elimination round. "Nick Fazekas is out of this world," said San Miguel Corp. director of sports Noli Eala on his Twitter account after the Petron import's spectacular performance. "Nick is a beast," tweeted Meralco veteran Asi Taulava. For the former Denver Nuggets, he just felt that he was at a zone all night. "I had a pretty good night and my shots were falling," Fazekas said, whose 40-20 production was the first in the league since Clif Brown tallied 43 points and 20 rebounds for Derby Ace in the 2010 Fiesta Conference. "We started slow and we were just a little impatient on offense. We adjusted in the second quarter where we grabbed the lead," said Petron coach Ato Agustin. "We focused on our defense and stuck to our game plan." But the Boosters were not all about their import. Arwind Santos and Denok Miranda finished with 12 points each, while Alex Cabagnot came off the bench and scattered 13 markers for Petron, which played without injured rookie Chris Lutz (out with a left hamstring). Lutz needs to rest for three weeks. It was not until Santos and Fazekas combined for a 10-2 run in the fourth that the Boosters finally had the game in the bag, stretching a slim two-point lead to 91-81 midway in the final period. Fazekas scored 14 points in the pivotal fourth. The Express suffered their first loss in two outings despite getting a monster game from import Marcus Douthit as the naturalized, former Smart Gilas player finished with 23 points and 23 rebounds. Jojo Duncil was the best local for the Express with 18 points, while RJ Jazul and Ren-Ren Ritualo scored 12 markers each. — JVP, GMA News Scores: