Titan Ultra anchored on Calvin Abueva to remain in the thick of battle for a quarterfinal berth in the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup.
Calvin Abueva did not need to be reminded how crucial Titan Ultra’s game was Sunday night, Dec. 14.
With the quarterfinals in mind, Abueva went out and took care of business as the Giant Risers hacked out a 127-119 victory over Phoenix in the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup at the Ynares Sports Arena in Antipolo.
[RELATED STORY: PBA: Calvin Abueva fires 35 as Titan Ultra beats Phoenix to stay in playoff race]
The Beast wound up with a whopping double-double of 35 points and 17 rebounds while also producing four assists, two steals and a block to help his team get a ray of hope in the tight playoff race.
The Giant Risers thus remained in contention with their 4-6 record.
“Itong game na ‘to, important sa’min kasi one step ahead. Ginebra na lang, quarters na,” Abueva said after the match.
“Kaya it’s a good thing for us na nandito kami ngayon, nakikipagsapalaran sa mga matataas na teams. Kaya ito, wag na namin sayangin ‘to.”
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Munzon, Dionisio also rise to the occasion
As spectacular as Abueva's showing was, other Giant Risers also stepped up big time, especially in the fourth period where they turned the tables on the Fuel Masters after trailing by as many as 13 points.
Joshua Munzon and Aris Dionisio finished with 21 points apiece and combined for 13 rebounds, five steals and three blocks.
Munzon nailed the four-pointer off a broken play that gave Titan Ultra a 121-117 lead with 30.7 ticks left to play, before Abueva sealed the win with five straight points highlighted by a breakaway flush.
Before Munzon and Abueva's heroics at endgame, Dionisio kept the Giant Risers afloat with two three-pointers.
“Sa mga teammates ko, kung hindi aggressive 'yong ipinakita nila, hindi namin makukuha 'tong game na 'to. Especially nagkaisa kami, ginusto namin ito and 'wag na namin sayangin,” said Abueva.
Meanwhile, Jason Perkins led Phoenix in scoring with 24 points he spiked with five rebounds and seven assists.
Bryan Santos fired six triples on his way to 18 points, while Tyler Tio added 16 markers and 10 assists for the Fuel Masters, who wrapped up their campaign with a 3-8 record.
Titan Ultra vs. Phoenix Scores:
Titan Ultra 127 – Abueva 35, Dionisio 21, Munzon 21, Balanza 17, Yu 14, Flores 11, Ular 2, Javillonar 2, Sangco 1, Ambohot 0
Phoenix 119– Perkins 24, Santos 18, Tio 16, Rivero 12, Nelle 11, Ballungay 10, Taha 7, Kwekuteye 6, Garcia 6, Tuffin 5, Manganti 2, Ando 2
Quarterscores: 27-32, 56-60, 86-91, 127-119
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Like most sportswriters, Jan Ballesteros once dreamed of becoming a professional hooper. But he learned the hard way that it’s not for everyone.
He continues to be involved in the sport he loves, but this time as a member of the PBA Press Corps. Aside from primarily covering the PBA, he is also assigned to cover Gilas Pilipinas.