Larry Fonacier starred as CAVITEX dealt TNT its first loss in the PBA 3×3 inaugurals, 20-19, Wednesday evening at the Ynares Sports Arena.
The veteran guard nailed the go-ahead bucket off a drive with 12.2 seconds left to play as the Braves snapped the Tropang Giga’s 10-game winning streak, which dates back from the maiden leg last weekend which they ruled.
Fonacier finished with 10 points to lead the Braves in the victory, which highlighted the bevy of surprises that occurred on the first day of Leg 2 of this FIBA Level Four tournament.
Sista made their presence felt as well after going winless in the previous leg, finishing the day with an impressive 3-1 haul also in Pool A.
The Super Sealers began the day with a 22-16 victory over CAVITEX, before taking down both the still-winless Zamboanga Valientes (22-18) and San Miguel (21-19) after suffering a 17-21 loss at the hands of TNT.
This means that the Tropang Giga and Sista are the teams from the group who will be advancing to the knockout quarterfinals. CAVITEX is still in a precarious position as it lost to the Beermen, 17-21, to end the night.
The Braves finished at 2-2. SMB is carrying a 1-2 card and could force a tie in the standings should it win versus Zamboanga tomorrow at 2:40.
Photo by PBA Images
Meanwhile, in Pool B, Terrafirma emerged on top of the group after nail-biting victories over Leg 1 runners-up Meralco and Barangay Ginebra.
Thanks to the big deuces of Roider Cabrera, the Dyip first beat Meralco, 17-14, and then withstood the Gin Kings in overtime, 19-17.
Unfortunately, the 31-year-old forward suddenly collapsed inside the team’s dugout shortly after their last game and was rushed to the hospital. There is still no update from the team regarding his condition as of this posting.
If it’s any consolation, Terrafirma is headed to the next round. The second berth, meanwhile, will be sought after by Meralco and Limitless App — both sporting similar 1-1 records — against Ginebra (0-2) and the Dyip, respectively.
Photo by PBA Images
Pioneer Pro Tibay, lastly, was among those who shocked the league. It wielded the upset ax on Leg 1 third-placers Purefoods by way of a 21-20 squeaker thanks to a Robin Rono game-winner, then downed NorthPort with a 22-12 win to go 2-0 in Pool C.
The new ball club has atoned for its forfeited games in the maiden leg of the tournament last weekend, and has a chance to clinch the group’s top seed tomorrow when it takes on another 2-0 team in Platinum Karaoke.
A semifinalist in the first leg, the veteran-laden crew also took down the Titans, 21-16, in a match that saw Val Acuna leave due to a hurt jaw. They went on to rip the Batang Pier apart, 21-10, in the penultimate game of the day.
Pioneer and Platinum, two of the league’s guest teams together with Zamboanga, are assured of trips to the quarters.
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