PBA: Llamados win fifth straight, cruise past Aces

The B-MEG Llamados maintained their post at the top of the PBA Governors’ Cup standings with a win over the Alaska Aces, 77-61, on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Llamados leaned on defense in the third quarter, limiting the Aces to just eight points in the 12-minute frame. After dropping their season opener they now improve to a conference-best 5-1 record, while at the same time handing Alaska their fifth loss in six games.

Forward JC Intal had an all-around game to lead B-Meg with 13 points, four rebounds, two steals and a block while shooting 6-for-10 from the field. Import Marquis Blakely and guard PJ Simon, who was returning from injury, also had 13 apiece for the Llamados.

The Aces' import Jason Forte led all scorers with 24 points and 20 rebounds, making 9-of-19 field goals and attempting 11 free throws. Hotshot point guard LA Tenorio tallied 17 markers while forward Sonny Thoss added 13 of his own.

Forte made the first two baskets in the game, lending four points to an early 7-4 advantage for the Aces. The Llamados countered with seven straight of their own, bolstered by a pair of triples from James Yap and Joshua Urbiztondo.

In the back six minutes of the quarter, the Aces cranked up their defense forcing turnovers that they then converted into scoring opportunties. Alaska managed a 10-0 run led by LA Tenorio, who capped the streak with a steal and a transition lay-up, and that was enough cause for Llamados head coach Tim Cone to call for time as his former team pulled ahead, 17-14.

Despite the little break, Alaska went right back to work, as Forte and Cyrus Baguio knocked in a basket apiece, before Josh Urbiztondo finally stopped the bleeding for B-MEG.

The Llamados however couldn't close the margin as they missed three of six attempts from the line. They did get a nice defensive play when Blakely rejected a turnaround by Gabby Espinas from the block to trail by four after the first period, 24-20.


B-MEG's shooting guard Simon, returning to action after suffering an ankle sprain, shook off a rusty first period, and scored Llamados' first seven points in the second quarter. With their offense clicking, the Llamados then frustrated the Aces on defense, leaving them without a field goal until Brandon Cablay nailed a lay-up with under six minutes remaining in the half.

That basket started an 8-4 run for the Aces as a basket by Thoss put them ahead, 36-31. Blakely countered with five points in a 7-0 swing for the Llamados, bracketing a transition lay-up by Intal, only for his former collegiate teammate Tenorio to exact pay-back in the final ticks of the half, nailing a pull-up jumper to knot the tally at 38-all.

In the third, Tenorio fed Forte for a one-handed dunk in transition to counter a basket in the lane by Marc Pingris. Unfazed, Urbiztondo hit a trey on the next possession for the Llamados. Blakely threw in four points on consecutive possessions and James Yap drained one from the lane to drop a 10-0 bomb on the Aces.

That run took the wind out of Alaska’s sails as they were unable to hit anything from the field, though they made four charities in the last two minutes. Simon stepped up for the Llamados in the quarter's back half, scoring eight of their last ten points, punctuating the run with a backdoor cut to extend the lead.

When the dust settled in the third, B-MEG out-scored Alaska 22-8, with the Aces missing a multitude of jump shots.

Forte and Tenorio took turns scoring for the Aces in the final period, although Alaska never seriously threatened the lead that grew as big as 19.

The loss sends Alaska to the bottom of the standings and are the only other team besides the Air21 Express (1-4) with a single win. That meant the Llamados were able to rest Blakely, whose health became an issue late.

B-MEG’s killer defense held Alaska to just 61 points overall, the lowest amount next to the 58 put up by the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters back in 2008, according to PBA statistician Fidel Mangonon III. - AMD/OMG, GMA News


The scores:

B-MEG 77 - Blakely 13, Intal 13, Simon 13, Urbiztondo 8, Yap 8, Pingris 7, De Ocampo 6, Reavis 5, Barroca 4, Acuna 0, Gaco 0, Burstcher 0, Bono 0, Villanueva 0

ALASKA 61 - Forte 24, Tenorio 17, Thoss 10, Baguio 5, Baracael 2, Cablay 2, Espinas 1, Jazul 0, Custodio 0, Eman 0, Gonzales 0, Dela Cruz 0

Quarter scores: 20-24, 38-38, 60-46, 77-61