MANILA – Jorey Napoles drilled a game-winning basket as CAVITEX Braves scored its breakthrough in the PBA 3×3 title with a 21-19 beating of the San Miguel Beermen in the Leg 2 finals held at the Robinsons Novaliches.
With CAVITEX clinging to a 20-19 lead, Napoles knocked down the clutch floater against the Beermen defense to lift the franchise to its first-ever leg title after previously finishing just runner up.
Napoles finished with seven points to backstop Pedrito Galanza’s eight markers and the combined six points of Chester Saldua and Dominick Fajardo as the NLEX bagged the top prize of P100,000.
“Sa akin naman, ‘di naman to para sa sarili ko, para sa teammates at sa coaches ‘to. Nagpapasalamat kami sa kanila at sa suporta,” said Napoles, who was part of the Gilas Pilipinas 3×3 team that won bronze in the 2021 Southeast Asian Games.
However, the victory nearly got out of CAVITEX hands as they squandered an early eight-point advantage as the Beermen went on a massive run to cut the deficit to 19-20 with 1:36 left.
The Beermen even had a chance to snatch the leg championship but Ilonggo Ken Bono and Wendell Comboy misfired on their outside attempts before Napoles ended the match with a conversion.
Comboy finished the finale with 10 points, Bono chipped in five markers, while Negrense Jeffrey Manday and Alfonso Gotladera combined for four points as the Beermen settled for a runner-up finish and P50,000 cash prize.
Prior to the championship round, CAVITEX pulled off a close 14-12 victory over Platinum Karaoke before surviving another close game in the semifinals round against Meralco Bolts, 17-16.
The Beermen, meanwhile, turned what was anticipated as a slugfest against Leg 1 winner TNT Tropang Giga into a one-sided affair as it rolled to a 20-14 domination in the semifinals.
TNT of Almond Vosotros, Lervin Flores, Samboy de Leon and Chris Exciminiano completed the podium finishers as it beat Meralco in the battle for third place, 20-17. The Tropang Giga netted P30,000./PN
