Giants keep clean slate, rip Dragons

James Yap, Raymundo lead Giants in powering way over Dragons
Friday, 02 November 2007

The Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants were pushed to the limit by the well-improved Welcoat Dragons but still got away with the ‘W’ to keep their record perfect in the Smart-PBA Philippine Cup at the Cuneta Astrodome.

In securing their fourth consecutive victory – their best conference start in more than at least a decade and a half – the Giants needed to work hard for every basket, scramble for every loose ball and relied on a great display of poise and experience down the stretch, to also keep their mastery over Welcoat which has not beaten Purefoods in five games since entering the league last season.

And once again their two superstars – James Yap and Kerby Raymundo – stood out above the rest, knocking crucial shots in the face of Welcoat's persistent comebacks.

"It always nice to have players like James and Kerby, who are so mature and know how to win," said Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio, visibly relishing their latest success.

"We haven't had a 4-0 start in long while. But I keep telling my players the success we're enjoying at the moment doesn't mean anything. So we have to just keep working and stay focused," he added.

“Four wins at the start of a conference doesn’t translate to a championship. Its winning four games in the Finals that wins championships,” Gregorio also said.

James Yap tallied 28 points on a 9-of-22 shooting from the field and Raymundo chalked up his fourth consecutive double-double with 23 points and 11 rebounds as the duo more than made up for the absence of veteran guard Roger Yap, who is serving a one-game suspension for his ejection in their previous game against Magnolia.

The Dragons stayed with the Giants until early in the fourth with top rookie pick Joe Devance tying the count for the seventh and last time at 68-all with a split free throw with seven minutes remaining.

But James Yap, who scored 18 points in the fourth, knocked a 3-pointer and completed a three-point play after a turnover by Welcoat before Raymundo scored four straight points as Purefoods all but took the game away, 78-71, with 3:14 left.

"It's always tough to play Welcoat. This team never gives up. I'm just glad the boys managed to keep their poise,” Gregorio said.

Purefoods' other big men – Romel Adducul and Marc Pingris – also did an excellent job defensively. Adducul held Jay-R Reyes to 14 hard-earned points on a 4-of-12 shooting from the floor while Pingris made life miserable for Devance, who led the Dragons with 17 points on a 6-of-18 stint from the field.

The loss was the third for Welcoat in four starts.

The Dragons, who showed vast improvement this conference with the arrival of Devance and veteran Nic Belasco, kept the game close but their inexperience showed in the end.

Belasco, Welcoat’s leading scorer and the league’s leading rebounder, was held to just seven points, on a 2-for-11 shooting but had a conference-high 20 rebounds.

The scores:

Purefoods 87 – Yap J. 28, Raymundo 23, Adducul 9, Lanete 7, Simon 7, Salvador 6, Pingris 3, Cablay 2, Yee 2, Sanz 0, Larong 0.

Welcoat 77 – Devance 17, Reyes 14, Wainwright 13, Arana 8, Belasco 7, Gelig 6, Lopez 6, Dulay 4, Ibanes 2, Baguion 0, Sta. Maria 0.

Quarterscores: 19-20, 32-32, 58-56, 87-77.