PBA-DL: Viernes sparks fourth quarter rally, powers Jumbo Plastic over Hog’s Breath

Jeff Viernes scored 10 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter as Jumbo Plastic Linoleum recorded its third win, downing Hog’s Breath Café, 73-63, on Monday at the JCSGO Gym, in the PBA D-League Foundation Cup.

The Giants joined Cebuana Lhuillier in second place in the standings with a 3-1 win-loss slate heading into the Holy Week break.

Viernes’ six-point swing capped a 17-3 run that put Jumbo Plastic ahead 69-59 with 2:37 left. He also made a hustle play, saving the ball from going out of bounds that led to a Karl Dehesa lay-up for a 71-61 lead with only 26.3 seconds on the clock.

“Ever since pumasok siya sa team namin, lumakas ’yung backcourt namin as well as bench scoring,” said Jumbo Plastic coach Stevenson Tiu of Viernes. “Definitely, malaking addition siya sa amin.”

Jumbo Plastic engaged in a tight contest with Hog’s Breath Café before its fourth-quarter run.

“It proves na there is no easy game in the D-League. Lahat ng teams competitive. Hindi ka puwedeng mag-relax kahit a few minutes,” said Tiu.

Mark Romero had 15 points while Jan Colina added 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Giants.

Hog’s Breath Café lost its fourth game in five outings. - Reuben Terrado, SPIN


The scores:

Jumbo Plastic Linoleum 73 – Viernes 16, Romero 15, Colina 14, Canada 8, Dehesa 6, Villamor 6, Tan 5, Petilos 3, Custodio 0, Magat 0, Parala 0, Ballesteros 0

Hog’s Breath Café 63 – Rios 12, Terso 10, Belencion 8, Sanga 8, Austria 7, Racal 5, Ruaya 4, Najorda 3, Publico 2, Avillanoza 2, Robles 2, Macasaet 0, Gabawan 0

Quarter scoring: 16-17, 36-42, 52-56, 73-63