PBA: Wilson wills Air21 past GlobalPort

Air21 out-hustled and out-scored the Globalport in a definitive run that bridged the third and fourth quarters, as John Wilson dropped 17 to lead the Express to their first win of the season against the Batang Pier, 88-81, at the Araneta Coliseum on Sunday. "I think it’s a sign we’re still in the stage where everybody is still adjusting to each other," said Air21 head coach Franz Pumaren, who only had RenRen Ritualo and JR Sena as holdovers from last season's Philippine Cup squad. The first quarter that ended deadlocked at 24-all was a duel between Globalport rookie Jason Deutchman and Express offseason acquisition John Wilson. Deutchman scored on a couple of three's and free throws, but he was one-upped by Wilson, who scored 10 of his own in first quarter. Air21 took a 41-39 lead at the half with their substitute backcourt combination of Simon Atkins and Bonbon Custodio combining for nine points in the second quarter. Renren Ritualo sank a couple of jumpers early in the third quarter, but Gary David also heated up, scoring on a fastbreak triple and a jumper to tie the game at 47-all. The Express then countered with a run anchored on their big men Mark Isip, Nonoy Baclao, and Yousef Taha for a 65-60 lead. The Batang Pier tried to mount a comeback late in the fourth quarter with free throws from Willie Miller, Gary David, and rookie AJ Mandani, but Wynne Arboleda, Wilson, and Baclao were steady at the line to seal the deal for the Express. "[The] game should have been over in the last 2-3 minutes. Global is still adjusting just like our team. Gary [David] just arrived a couple of days before the opening. This team, down the road, they will be a very dangerous team. They will make the other teams struggle once they start adjusting to each other," added Pumaren. Noticeably missing was 2010 second overall pick Rabeh Al-Hussaini, who saw no playing time in this match from Globalport head coach Glenn Capacio. Rabeh Al-Hussaini was one of the players traded from Petron to Powerade, which was later bought by GlobalPort. He was seen to be a player who would anchor the frontcourt for Batang Pier, but just two games into the season, was benched for the entire game after scoring just four points in the team's season opener. Prior to this meeting, the two teams were involved in a bench-clearing incident in the pre-season which led to Al-Hussaini chasing Air21’s Yousef Taha out of the Moro Lorenzo Gym, where the game was held. It was the former Mapua Cardinal however who got revenge, as he was adjudged Best Player of the Game, scoring four points, along with 12 rebounds, two assists, three steals, and a block. John Wilson added 17 points on 6-of-13 shooting, while Mark Isip and KG Canaleta added 12 markers each. Taha was also one of the key factors in the Express out-rebounding the Batang Pier 52-37, as he and JR Sena combined for 22 boards. The Batang Pier on the other hand were led by Willie Miller's game-high 22 points. Gary David added 17, but the two sharpshooters combined to go just 2-of-15 from downtown. The Air21 Express upped their record to 1-1 following an early loss to Barako Bull Energy Cola last week. The GlobalPort Batang Pier, on the other hand, dropped to 0-2 after losing to the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings in this PBA season’s opening game. - RAF/AMD, GMA News The scores: Air21 88 - Wilson 17, Isip 12, Canaleta 12, Arboleda 9, Custodio 8, Sena 7, Omolon 6, Atkins 5, Taha 4, Baclao 4, Ritualo 4. Globalport 81 - Miller 22, David 17, Deutchman 14, Manuel 9, Salvador 8, Lingganay 5, Mandani 2, Vanlandingham 2, Adducul 2, Raymundo 0, Guevarra 0. Quarter scoring: 24-24, 41-39, 65-60, 88-81