PBA: Ageless Asi leads Air21 franchise to first semis appearance with win over SMB

The Air21 Express leaned on Asi Taulava's late-game heroics to pull out a 101-95 victory against the San Miguel Beermen Friday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum, giving the team their first semifinals appearance, as they advanced in the 2014 PBA Commissioners Cup.

The veteran Taulava got Player of the Game honors with 16 points, nine rebounds and three blocks in 45 minutes of play. The Express now await the winner of the Alaska Aces - San Mig Super Coffee Mixers battle on Saturday.

"I'm really speechless right now. We were able to slay the dragon," said Air21 head coach Franz Pumaren. "I know for a fact basketball experts didn't give us a chance to get to the next round. It's so satisfying. My team really wanted to get this victory. We're the gatecrashers in this semis. This team just didn't want to lose."

Import Wesley Witherspoon led the Express with 26 points, as Sean Anthony and Asi Taulava added 18 and 16, respectively. Joseph Yeo scored 11 points in the first half, while Jonas Villanueva, Aldrech Ramos and Mac Cardona added eight each.

The Beermen went into overtime without June Mar Fajardo, Sol Mercado and Marcio Lassiter, and Sean Anthony opened up the scoring to give the Express the lead. A block by Taulava lead to a Cardona teardrop, as Fajardo's absence continued to plague the Beermen. Chris Ross came to the rescue on the next play, beating the shotclock with a trey, but Witherspoon continued to shoot above Santos, 88-85. Santos took it back on the break however, as the two teams struggled to convert in the final minute.

Down by just one with 23.8 to go, SMB went to Ross anew to drain the time. The point guard drove hard to the lane and drew a foul, settling for a split on the line to tie the game. The Express had another chance to win with 13.1 seconds remaining, and they went for a Mac Cardona floater. His attempt fell short, though, sending the game into more extra time.

In the second overtime period, Taulava went to work early on Doug Kramer, putting the Express ahead. Arwind Santos responded with a baseline jumper, before Taulava stuffed the ball home for the lead anew.

With 2:47 remaining, Taulava got Kramer's final foul before splitting from the line. Sean Anthony got the offensive board, as Wesley Witherspoon drove it home for a five-point lead, 95-90. SMB had several chances to trim the deficit, but miscommunication between Paolo Hubalde and Chris Lutz gave Air21 another possession with 1:48 remaining.

A pair of Witherspoon charities with 1:03 left stretched the Air21 lead to seven, as Kevin Jones managed to get one out of two from the line. With the Beermen missing from deep and the Express' interior defense holding on, Sean Anthony knocked down two more free throws to make it an eight-point affair. Arwind Santos and Kevin Jones were able to string four points quickly, though, as Air21 called for time with 10.5 to go, 99-95.

The Beermen were able to steal the ball off the inbounds, but Santos caught all air with his three-point attempt. Free throws from Jonas Villanueva with 3.7 to go sealed the deal, 101-95.

The Express played the second half without Joseph Yeo, who was ejected in the second quarter after a Flagrant 2 foul.


"There was a point in the game when Joseph Yeo was thrown out, but we survived," Pumaren added. "We were able to prove something, that despite our lineup, with our team effort, we were able to survive. The players believe in what we're doing. We overachieved already. I hope my players won't be satisfied that we got to the semis."

Kevin Jones and June Mar Fajardo kept the lead at five early in the third, before Witherspoon hit a tough step-back three to trim the deficit, 47-45. A Marcio Lassiter drive canceled out a pretty hangtime move by Eliud Poligrates on Fajardo, as Asi Taulava earned a breather. Without the veteran center, though, Air 21 was left with Aldrech Ramos to guard Fajardo, and SMB's big man went on a tear, scoring six to push the lead to double-digits, 60-49.

Pesky on ball defense kept the Beermen ahead, before Taulava returned to team up with Witherspoon and cut the lead to seven, 63-56, with two minutes remaining. Kevin Jones stopped the bleeding after working on Sean Anthony, as the Beermen ended the third still ahead, 65-56.

A five-point swing from the Express had SMB pressing the timeout button early in the fourth, 67-61. Another three-point play from Aldrech Ramos further trimmed the lead, but Marcio Lassiter responded with a trey. A goaltending call on the Express and another Fajardo basket re-established a nine-point edge for the Beermen. With over five minutes left in the game, Sol Mercado was whistled for his final foul, but the Beermen didn't seem to mind as Chris Ross and Fajardo connected on an alleyoop, 75-66. An active Sean Anthony tried to keep Air21 alive, as a Witherspoon trey cut the lead to seven with 3:02 remaining, 77-70.

Back-to-back layups from Chris Ross, though, ensured a 10-point lead in the final 124 seconds of the game. Four straight points from Taulava and Cardona chopped that down to six, before Arwind Santos lost the ball leading to another Ai 21 basket. The Beermen then called for time with 1:02 remaining, only for Taulava to swipe the ball, giving Air21 another chance to cut the deficit. Fajardo was quickly whistled for his final foul on a driving Sean Anthony, as the Express earned two more free throws with 33 seconds left on the clock, 81-79.

After calling their final timeout, SMB had Ross milking the shotclock before being fouled by Sean Anthony with 15.8 to go. The point guard missed the first before making the second, as Air21 called for time. Coach Franz Pumaren went to Aldrech Ramos for a triple in the wings as first option, with a Wesley Witherspoon corner trey as the alternative. Doug Kramer ended up fouling Witherspoon, who missed the first before nailing the second. Ronald Tubid lost the ball to the Express, though, giving Air21 4.8 ticks to go to tie the game.

On the final play of regulation, Wesley Witherspoon missed a wild three-pointer at the top of the key, but Asi Taulava was there for the rebound and a stickback with 0.2 seconds remaining to send the game to extra time.

Kevin Jones led the Beermen with 23 points while June Mar Fajardo collected 20 for himself. Chris Ross had 18 points, as Arwind Santos chipped in 16. Marcio Lassiter also contributed 12. - AMD GMA News


The scores:

AIR21 101 - Witherspoon 26, Anthony 18, Taulava 16, Yeo 11, Villanueva 8, Ramos 8, Cardona 8, Poligrates 5, Borboran 1, Burtscher 0, Menor 0

SAN MIGUEL BEER 95 - Jones 23, Fajardo 20, Ross 18, Santos 16, Lassiter 12, Hubalde 2, Lutz 2, Marcado 2, Maierhofer 0, Tubid 0, Lanete 0, Kramer 0

Quarter scoring: 21-17, 40-43, 56-65, 82-82, 88-88, 101-95