MANILA – NorthPort Batang Pier halted its four-game slide in the 2019 PBA Governors’ Cup by toppling Phoenix Pulse Fuel Masters, 80-70, last night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Moala Tautuaa top-scored with 16 points to go along with nine rebounds as Ilonggo Juan Paolo Taha and Mychal Ammons added 14 and 12 markers, respectively.
The Batang Pier improved to a 2-4 slate.
It made its presence felt early with shots from Taha, Tautuaa and Garvo Lanete
for a 17-6 start.
The lead grew to 26-12 but the Fuel Masters responded with a mini run to come to within 31-38 at the half.
Batang Pier was able to increase the lead to 44-31 on inside hits from Tautuaa and Ammons.
The Fuel Masters, however, slowly clawed its way back to come to within 55-58 after three quarters.
In the fourth, Phoenix was able to take a slim 61-60 lead. NorthPort, however, answered back with baskets from Ammons, Tautuaa and Juan Miguel Elorde to push the lead to 80-68 on a Ferrer drive.
For the Fuel Masters which skidded to 2-5 win-loss record, Alex Mallari finished with 15 points while import Eugene Phelps and Jason Perkins contributed 14 and 10 markers, respectively.
In the second game, TNT KaTropa rode on the offense of KJ McDaniels. They scored a come-from-behind victory over the Meralco Bolts and stretched their unbeaten run to six games.
After falling behind by double digits early in the game, McDaniels connived with Roger Pogoy, Jayson Castro and Jeth Troy Rosario in the final canto to turn things around and build a 111-103 edge.
The Bolts, however, did not easily gave up as they chopped the deficit to 113-115 with 9.1 seconds left after back-to-back hits from Allen Durham. A split free throw by McDaniels, however, and a defensive stop on the other end allowed the TNT to escape.
McDaniels finished the match with 51 points while Pogoy and Castro added 23 and 21 markers, respectively, for the KaTropa.
Durham had 43 markers for the 3-2 Bolts./PN
