Magnolia Beverage Masters Basketball Games Updates

Danny Ildefonso, Lordy Tugade Lead Magnolia's Local Crew, Amal McCaskill Sinks Winning Basket

Magnolia Beverage Masters' veterans proved once again that they can deliver in a crucial situation like this one. Danny Ildefonso provided the needed offensive firepower all throughout the ballgame with his steady post-up moves. Lordy Tugade, on the other hand, showed his clutch shooting in the endgame with the help of Olsen Racela's well-orchestrated play.

The game-winning shot of the evening belonged to Amal McCaskill, who had been playing sub-par in almost three quarters. He started to showed aggresiveness in the fourth period with the ballgame on the line. After getting an excellent pass from point guard Olsen Racela, Amal immediately posted up Steven Thomas and let fly a turn-around shot that went inside the net.

This marked the first time that the Magnolia Beverage Masters won against the Air21 Express when Steven Thomas is around this conference. Enjoy the exciting crucial moments of the basketball game from this recorded video that I got from Youtube courtesy of captainlionheart16.



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MAGNOLIA PULLS EVEN ON McCASKILL’S HEROICS
Beverage Masters’ import finally win one over Thomas

Source: Philippine Basketball Association
Sunday, July 27, 2008

Amal McCaskill finally pulled one over Steven Thomas as Magnolia drew even with Air21 after four gammes of their 2008 Smart PBA Fiesta Conference best-of-seven semifinal showdown at the Araneta Coliseum Sunday.

McCaskill pumped in a turnaround jumper off Thomas himself in the closing seconds as the Magnolia Beverage Masters eked out a 104-102 win that reduced their battle to a best-of-three affair.

Magnolia Beverage Masters beat Air21 for the first time in the tourney with Thomas in harness. For McCaskill, it was his first over Thomas in four matches.

Thomas had his big baskets at endgame but McCaskill had the final laugh after making the gamme-winning basket with time down to 1.4 seconds.

With no more timeout left, the Express could no longer map out a decent play, eventually yielding the gamme with Arwind Santos making an errant throw-in.

"It was anybody's ballgame and it so happened that we made the last big shot," said Magnolia Beverage Masters coach Siot Tanquingcen.

"Dikit lagi ang laban namin from the elimination round and I don't see it getting easier the rest of this series," Tanquingcen added. "Malaking bagay sa morale namin na nakatabla kami."

Gary David sizzled with 32 points but fouled out on two successive offensive infractions entering the homestretch.

Santos and Thomas picked up the cudgels on the ouster of David but the Magnolia Beverage Masters stood their ground, getting clutch shots from Lordy Tugade and McCaskill.

Thomas scored all of Air21's last five points, including a short stab off McCaskill, tying the count at 102 with 14.4 seconds to go.

McCaskill, however, saved the day and the Magnolia Beverage Masters avoided falling into a 1-3 hole in the series.

The two teams figured in another tight contest marred by a near brawl between the two teams while heading to the lockers at the halftime break.

The Magnolia Beverage Masters came back strong from the halftime huddle, engaging the Express in seven deadlocks and three lead changes after trailing by eight at the turn.

David and Nino Canaleta failed to finish the gamme both on account of fouls while Wynne Arboleda sat out the last three minutes of the contest due to leg cramps.

Though worse in overall field-goal shooting, the Express took the half at 57-49 as they hit five triples to none for the Magnolia Beverage Masters.

Gary David went 2-of-2 from beyond the arc in the first half and himself fueled the Express' decisive charge from a 26-all standoff at the start of the second period.

Air21 outscored Magnolia Beverage Masters, 12-8, on second-chance points and, 9-4, on points off turnovers in the first 24 minutes of play. (NC)

The scores:

Magnolia 104 -- McCaskill 19, Tugade 19, Ildefonso 19, Pingris 10, Pena 10, Racela 7, Seigle 7, Hontiveros 6, Calaguio 3, Villanueva 2, Cortez 2.

Air21 102 -- David 32, Thomas 20, Santos 15, Arboleda 10, De Ocampo 8, Se 6, Kramer 4, Canaleta 3, Cruz 2, Billones 2, Intal 0, Sotto 0.

Quarterscores: 26-26, 49-57, 78-80, 104-102.