Air 21 Outlasts Meralco

Behind a mighty windup, Air21 topped Meralco, 110-101, Wednesday to catch up with Rain or Shine at sixth place with four play dates left in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup elimination phase.

The Express broke away at the finish and scored their first back-to-back wins that boosted their chance to make the playoffs.

The Bolts practically kissed their own playoff hopes goodbye with a sixth loss against only two wins.

A win by Rain or Shine over Alaska Milk Friday at the Araneta Coliseum will render non-bearing the Meralco-Smart Gilas match in Tacloban, Leyte Saturday.\

Courtesy from pba.ph

Smart GIlas Won Over Brangay Ginebra

SMART-Gilas had shown it could win without Marcus Douthit. With him back, there was simply no way to stop the Nationals.

Gilas buckled down to work early and banked on its 6-foot-10 center in the endgame to beat Barangay Ginebra, 111-104, Wednesday and earn the first automatic semifinals berths in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.

Marcio Lassiter went near-perfect from the field in the opening quarter to provide the Nationals with the spark before Douthit took over in the fourth period after Ginebra rallied back from several
18-point deficits to within five.

Douthit, who missed a 98-97 win over Powerade last Sunday to rest a sprain, scored 14 of his conference-high-tying 30 points in the final canto, including seven straight that plucked Gilas for
good from a 97-91 count inside the last 2:00.