Fastbreak: David torches the Aces, Petron notches another 'W'
HOT HANDS. Gary David (L) continues his hot-shooting streak while June Mar Fajardo (R) returns from injury to help Petron win. Photo by Nuki Sabio/PBA Images
The Best: "El Granada" continued to wax hot in the Philippine Cup, scoring 24 points, including 7 points in a key fourth quarter stretch, to lead the Meralco Bolts to their fifth win in twelve games. Gary David hit three triples and 10/20 field goals overall to top-score for Meralco. David has been on fire lately, with this performance coming on the heels of his 34-point explosion against Air 21. He remains one of the PBA's deadliest scorers. He's top five in points-per-game and top four in total three-pointers made.
The Worst: In contrast Calvin Abueva continued to struggle in his sophomore season. The 2013 Rookie of the Year put up just 6 points on 3/11 FG shooting in this game, while also turning the ball over thrice and getting into a scuffle with Meralco's Jared Dillinger in the fourth period. Abueva has been on a bit of a dry spell lately, as he's scored in single digits in four of Alaska's last five games. His player efficiency rating is also down this year at 22.5 EFF compared to 26.4 EFF last season.
Tailspin: The Alaska Aces are on a tailspin right now. They've lost three of their last four games and eight of twelve overall. They're mired in a tie for eighth place with GlobalPort and are in danger of missing the bus to the next round. Not the best start to a season where they were expected to continue their growth and really challenge the established hierarchy in the league.
Also, this happened: PBA players Dillinger and Abueva get into altercation
Petron Blaze over GlobalPort, 98-87
The Best: Arwind Santos continued his strong play this season with a great outing against the Batang Pier, who fell to 4-8 in the team standings. Santos racked up 25 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 1 steal to lead the Boosters in halting a slump that saw the erstwhile league leaders lose three of four games. Santos has been playing splendidly of late, registering double-doubles in three of Petron's last five games. His current player efficiency rating (39.7 EFF), in fact, is a career-high.
The Worst: In terms of the frontline, GlobalPort was able to match-up well with Petron, despite having much smaller big men. It was in the backcourt, however, where things unraveled for coach Richie Ticzon. Despite his two starting guards -- Jaypee Belencion and Sol Mercado -- combining for 37 points, GlobalPort's playmaking sputtered here. As a team, the Batang Pier were -9 in assists and had twice as many turnovers as Petron -- 22-11.
June Mar's Return: Super sophomore June Mar Fajardo returned to action last night, but it was clear he still wasn't 100%. There were times he was slow to react and slow to get to his spots on the floor. He still had a respectable outing, though, producing 12 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocked shots in 24 minutes of play. Despite not being at full strength, he was still a significant presence inside, as Petron stayed within striking distance of the top spot with 9 wins and 3 losses. - Rappler.com
