ABL: Taulava torches Warriors, hands Beermen game one 

The San Miguel Beermen defeated the Indonesia Warriors, 75-70, to take game one of the 2013 Asean Basketball League Finals on Friday, at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.

Asi Taulava, who was named as the league MVP earlier this week, led the Beermen with 22 points off a 10-of-14 shooting clip, and 10 rebounds. Chris Banchero added 15 points, six boards and five assists, while Val Acuña and Leo Avenido had 13 and 12 markers, respectively.

The two teams were tied at five-all in the first two minutes of the game, before the Warriors went on a 12-4 run, capped by back-to-back hits by Stanley Pringle and Jerick Cañada at the 3:21 mark. Conversions from Asi Taulava and Chris Banchero cut the Indonesia lead to three, but Daniels completed a three-point play off a Cañada miss to re-erect a six-point spread.

Consecutive baskets from Taulava cut the lead anew, but free throws from John Albert Smith in the final 94 seconds kept Indonesia ahead after one, 23-18.

A Daniels basket at the 9:39 mark gave Indonesia a seven-point lead in the second. Chris Banchero and Justin Williams then teamed up to trim their deficit to four, while Leo Avenido hit a trey, but a five-point rush by the Warriors kept their lead at six.

Another SMB triple, this time from Val Acuña, cut the lead to three, but baskets from Pringle and Thomas kept the Warriors ahead by as much as seven in the final two and a half minutes of the second period.

The Beermen went on to have one last push to end the half, as back-to-back hits from Taulava got the home team within three. Two free throws from Banchero at the 1:29 mark made it a one-point game, before an Avenido triple completed the San Miguel comeback by giving them a two-point lead with 46 seconds remaining.

Indonesia did not let the home team take the lead heading to the break through, as Daniels tied the game with 23 seconds remaining at 38-all, entering the intermission.

The two teams hit 15 shots even at the half, with the home team getting a better clip off fewer attempts (33 versus 36 by Indonesia).

The Beermen also converted 4-of-9 from long range (44 percent), while the Warriors were a measly 2-of-9 (22 percent). The Warriors though were more active on the boards, posting 21 to San Miguel's 17 rebounds, while the Beermen had 10 to the Warriors' eight assists.

Taulava led San Miguel with 12, while Chris Banchero and Leo Avenido had nine and eight, respectively. Indonesia leaned on Chris Daniels for 11 points and five rebounds early on, while Stanley Pringle and Steven Thomas had nine each with a combined 13-rebound output.

The Beermen were able to establish a five-point lead in the third after free throws from Taulava, Avenido, and Banchero. Quickly after though, Pringle found Mario Wuysang for a three to cut the San Miguel lead to two, before hitting a put-back with 3:14 remaining to tie the game at 53-all.

SMB imports teamed up on the next play, as Brian Williams found Justin Williams for a bucket and the lead, before Acuña canned another for a four-point spread. A pair of free throws from Cañada were easily canceled out by a Jeric Fortuna basket, as Smith missed a three at the other end to keep San Miguel ahead, 59-55, after three periods.

The Beermen were able to establish a larger lead in the fourth, as Acuña and Fortuna made it 69-60 with 5:50 remaining. Thomas and Pringle were able to bring it down to three with a little bit over three minutes left in the game, but the visitors could not capitalize as SMB's turnovers were canceled out by misses from Cañada and Pringle.

With only 1:35 left in the game, Banchero missed another basket, but the Warriors could not get any closer, as Justin Williams blocked Daniels, leading to an Indonesia turnover.

Taulava wouldn't let up, making it a five-point game with 50 seconds remaining, but Pringle cut the lead to two anew off a timeout. After SMB called for time following Pringle's quick two, San Miguel head coach Leo Austria re-inserted Taulava into the game.

The big man did not disappoint, hitting a big shot 20 seconds after, as Wuysang then missed a three to give the home team the victory.

Steven Thomas had 20 points and 17 rebounds for Indonesia, while Stanley Pringle had 15 and six. Chris Daniels added 14 and seven, while Mario Wuysang chipped in 13, with three treys.

Game two of the best-of-five Finals series will be on Sunday at 3pm, also at the Ynares Sports Arena.  - RAF, GMA News