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| Kadeem Jack delivered in crunch time for NorthPort. PBA Images |
MANILA—For the first time ever, NorthPort beat all three San Miguel Corporation-owned teams within the same PBA conference eliminations.
All it took was clutch moments from Kadeem Jack.
Even if his scoring slowed down in the second half, the burly import shot the points that mattered as the Batang Pier survived a San Miguel Beermen comeback for a 105-104 win in their crucial PBA Commissioner's Cup game on Tuesday night at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
Jack first scored a short fallaway jumper with 1:48 left that broke a 101-all tie, and later, after SMB scored three free throws in succession to take a 104-103 lead, hit another short-range shot with 16.6 seconds to go to reclaim the cushion for NorthPort.
Juami Tiongson had a chance to put the Beermen back on top, but he overshot a floater attempt as the shotclock expired on them.
Knowing that SMB cannot call its remaining timeout without a dead ball situation, Arvin Tolentino opted to miss his second free throw, forcing Mo Tautuaa to try his luck from way out only for his heave to be way short.
Jack finished with 38 points, seven rebounds, two assists, one block, and four steals for NorthPort, which tied Converge for second place at 8-3, just behind 6-2 TNT.
Tolentino added 22 points, eight rebounds, four assists, two steals, and one block.
Owning the tiebreaker due to the winner-over-the-other rule, the Batang Pier have much control of their shot for a Top 2 spot, which merits a one-win bonus in the quarterfinals, with only the Blackwater Bossing to think about on Saturday night.
June Mar Fajardo put up 24 points, 15 rebounds, two assists, and one steal, while CJ Perez added 21 points, five rebounds, four assists, and one steal for SMB, which fell to a tie with Magnolia and NLEX for the eighth and last quarterfinal spot at 4-6.
After a decent game in Candon despite a loss to Meralco, Malik Pope was held to only four points on 2-for-8 shooting with eight rebounds and one block as he sat out the entire fourth quarter against NorthPort.
The gamble, similar to what the Beermen did against the Eastern Long Lions during their previous EASL encounter, nearly paid off as they fought back from 24 points down only that Jack saved the day for the Batang Pier.
The Scores:
NORTHPORT 105 – Jack 38, Tolentino 22, Navarro 17, Munzon 12, Nelle 6, Bulanadi 6, Tratter 2, Flores 2, Yu 0, Miranda 0, Cuntapay 0
SAN MIGUEL 104 – Fajardo 24, Perez 21, Trollano 16, Tautuaa 14, Tiongson 10, Cruz 6, Pope 4, Lassiter 3, Cahilig 3, Rosales 3, Ross 0
QUARTERS: 32-22, 69-52, 91-74, 105-104
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