Magnolia Beverage Masters Basketball Games Updates

Magnolia Beverage Masters Lose To Coca-Cola Tigers Sans Two Danny's

It's really hard to win without the proper materials and resources you need to put a good fight. That's what happened in this game where the Coca-cola Tigers pounded on the hapless Magnolia Beverage Masters that played without its two Danny's - Danny Seigle and Danny Ildefonso.

I was able to watch the game and witnessed the butchery that happened in the fourth quarter where the Tigers made full use of the team's lack of firepower in offense.
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GERVIN POWERS COCA-COLA TIGERS OVER MAGNOLIA BEVERAGE MASTERS: Tigers regain share of lead with Red Bull

Source: PBA.ph
Friday, 09 May 2008

Import George “Gee” Gervin Jr. scored a personal conference-high of 35 points to power Coca-Cola to a 106-92 win opposite Magnolia Beverage Masters in the Smart-PBA Fiesta Conference Friday night at the Araneta Coliseum.

With the Magnolia's defense focused on the Tigers’ other reinforcement Jason Dixon, Gervin, the son of former NBA great George “The Iceman” Gervin, was unstoppable most of the time.

The 6-foot-1 Gervin converted 13-of-26 from the field, including 6-of-10 from the three-point territory and went 3-of-4 from the foul line in 33 minutes of basketball play. He added five rebounds, four assists and a steal.

Asi Taulava, the 2003 Most Valuable Player (MVP), came through with double-double of 21 points and 15 rebounds, while rookie guard Ronjay Buenafe added 13 markers.

The win propelled Coke to top of the lead, tying Red Bull with identical 6-2 cards, while Magnolia dropped to sixth spot with 4-4 record.

“It was right from the opening tip that Magnolia had the mindset to take away Dixon out of his basketball game,” Coke mentor Bink Favis said. “But we came prepared for that. I’m glad that small guys delivered.”

The 6-foot-10 Dixon, who averaged 25.1 points in his first seven basketball games, was held to seven points, the lowest output by an import this conference.

Dixon, however, was a force at the middle of Coke’s interior defense as he grabbed a personal conference-best of 17 rebounds that best typified his team’s dominance at the boards, 59-51.

“I think defense was the key in this victory,” Favis added. “I’m glad that, I think for the first time, we won a little convincingly.”

“It gets more difficult by the day, it gets harder and harder. But we’ll just take it one basketball game at a time,” Favis, whose team will face defending champion Alaska on Wednesday and Air21 on Friday.

The 35-point output of Gervin eclipsed his previous high of 26 during his debut when Coke lost to Air21, 95-102, last April 13.

The Tigers used a 15-4 run to start the fourth period that turned a close 75-71 advantage after three quarters, to 90-75 with 5:52 left in the basketball game.

Coke had its biggest lead at 20 points, 100-80, on two free throws by Buenafe, the former Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC) stalwart, off a Mike Cortez foul with 3:10 left in the basketball game.

The Tigers shot 37-of-86 or 43 percent from the field, while the Beverage Masters were held to a 31-of-86 shooting or 36 percent.

Magnolia got 23 points from Lordy Tugade, while import Jameel Watkins added 14 with 12 rebounds. Cortez also had 14. (WG)

The scores:

Coke 106 – Gervin 35, Taulava 21, Buenafe 13, Belasco 9, Cabagnot 8, Dixon 7, Telan 7, Macapagal 6, Catli 0, Dimaunahan 0.

Magnolia 92 – Tugade 23, Watkins 14, Cortez 14, Hontiveros 11, Pingris 7, Calaguio 6, Samigue 4, Racela 4, Villanueva 3, Gonzales 3, Tolomia 3, Pena 0.

Quarterscores: 22-26; 50-51; 75-71; 106-92.