Thursday, October 7, 2010

Powerade Tigers rout Elasto Painters in post-Asi era

POWERADE showed that it is ready to move forward without resident big man Asi Taulava.
 
Gary David picked up where he left off last season as he scored a game-high 25 points to power the Tigers to a 111-103 victory over Rain or Shine in both team’s debut game in the 2010-2011 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup last night at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
 
David, who was the league’s scoring champion last season with 18.2 points per game, scattered points the entire game, including nine in the decisive second quarter, where the Tigers seized control.
After a tight first period, which saw them ahead by two, Powerade methodically imposed its new run-and-gun philosophy by scoring easy baskets to carve a comfortable 60-47 lead with 2:30 left in the opening half. The Tigers settled for a 60-53 advantage at intermission.
 
Rain or Shine newcomer Larry Rodriguez kept the Elasto Painters in the thick of things by scoring eight to open the second half and inch his team closer to a workable deficit, 69-73, at the 5:43 mark of the third.
However, that proved to be the closest the Elasto Painters could get as the Tigers gained back control and took good care of their lead the rest of the way. They even held double-figure leads for majority of the final quarter despite an atrocious 33-turnover performance.
 
‘’While the game was going on, I was kind of worried that we were committing so much turnovers. But then again, at the back of my mind, this is the trait that I want to impose for our team. Plus, I emphasized our defense because that would give us our wins,’’ said Powerade coach Bo Perasol, whose premier slotman Taulava, was shipped to Meralco before the season.
 
‘’For every chance we have, we’re going to run, but at the same time if there is a need to set things up, we will do that as well.’’
 
It wasn’t only David, who also grabbed four board and four assists, who provided the scoring cudgels for the Tigers. He got plenty of help.

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