PBL: BK cuts short Pharex’s celebration in Linoleum Cup

MANILA, Philippines – Burger King cut short Pharex’s celebration in the 2009 Philippine Basketball League (PBL) PG Flex Linoeleum Cup beating an upset-conscious Generix side, 73-65, Saturday at the Emilio Aguinaldo College gym in UN Avenue. The Stunners leaned on veterans Nestor David and Abby Santos – both acquired by BK last week – to snap a four-game slide and keep its quarterfinal hopes alive. The win gave the Allan Gregorio-mentored squad a 3-5 record. David and Santos buried key baskets in the fourth then got ample support from their teammates in the defensive end to repel Pharex’s late-game come-back bid. David, the 6-foot-2 former University of the Philippines star, also produced solid numbers with 16 points and 10 rebounds for the BK Stunners while the 6-foot-5 Santos scored a game-high 19 points. Santos even scored seven straight, including a three-pointer, in BK’s telling 12-0 in the fourth period to break out from a tight 53-52 contest. The loss puts in peril the quarterfinal bid of Pharex, which two-days ago scored a 78-74 win over league-leading Harbour Centre. The Generix dropped to a 1-7 record and they need to win three or sweep their last four games to remain in contention of a quarterfinal berth. Christian Luanzon added 13 points while NCAA star Ogie Menor, sporting anew his “Mohawk" hairdo, accounted for 11 points. Ian Saladaga topped the scoring for Pharex with 18 points while Ronnie Matias contributed 15 markers. – GMANews.TV PBL Standings W L Pct. Harbour 7 1 .875 Magnolia 6 2 .750 Hapee 4 3 .571 Toyota Otis 3 4 .428 Bacchus 3 5 .375 Burger King 3 5 .375 Pharex 1 7 .125 Games Tuesday (Letran gym) 2 p.m. – Harbour Centre vs Toyota Otis 4 p.m. – WPBL Finals