PBA: Purefoods prevents late Alaska comeback, barges into semis

The Purefoods Hotshots saw their 15-point fourth quarter lead trimmed to just four in the final two minutes, but held on to secure a 96-89 win against the Alaska Aces to barge into the semifinals of the 2015 Commissioner's Cup on Sunday at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.

Denzel Bowles led his team with 32 points, 11 rebounds, four blocks and four assists. Joe Devance added 16 points, while James Yap had 11. Mark Barroca chipped in 14 off the bench.

A Marc Pingris make with 4:54 left gave Purefoods an 88-73 lead in the fourth, before the Aces mounted their comeback. Four from Damion James and an RJ Jazul trey cut the lead to single digits, 88-80, prompting Purefoods to call for time. Denzel Bowles and Mark Barroca then missed back to back shots, while Calvin Abueva and James converted anew at the other end.

Barroca installed order for the Hotshots in the next play, though, driving to the lane and drawing the defense before dishing off to Pingris at the baseline. The big man made an up and under layup, making in a six-point game with 1:15 left.

A Sonny Thoss hook shot feel short soon after, giving Purefoods a chance to extend their lead, but a Bowles miss led to another opportunity for Alaska. Off an Alaska timeout, RJ Jazul attempted one from deep, but it fell short as Alex Mallari secured the rebound. Mallari then knocked down two from the stripe, but Jayvee Casio converted for a corner three quickly to make things interesting with 28 ticks to go, 92-87.

The Aces were forced to play the fouling game, and Barroca obliged by connecting four from the line to secure the victory.

RJ Jazul top scored for Alaska with 22 points off the bench after hitting six triples. Damion James had 21 points and 11 rebounds, while Calvin Abueva had 14. Jayvee Casio added 10. - GMA News