UNFAZED by its rival’s perfect home record, Parañaque came through with another A-game in the most important match of the season yet to conquer Bulacan and usher the preseason champion to the exit door of the MPBL-Anta Rajah Cup.
The Gamboa Coffee-backed Patriots turned back the Ligo Sardines-supported Kuyas, 77-70, late Tuesday night to arrange a Final Four showdown with the Muntinlupa Cagers-Angelis Resort on Thursday to be held at the Batangas City Coliseum.
Earlier, Valenzuela nipped Quezon City, 74-72, in a thrilling, down-to-the-wire match that could have gone either way.
The Yulz-supported Classic got a big lift from Jeff Javillonar, who scored 15 points, including the marginal basket that sent Chris Gavina and his boys in a head-on collision with the Batangas City Athletics-Tanduay in the best-of-three semifinals series.
For the second straight game in the playoffs, ex-pro Juneric Baloria delivered the baskets that mattered the most for the Patriots.
Baloria came out sizzling in the early goings as his three triples in the opening quarter helped the Patriots in establishing the tempo of the game. He finished with 16 points and eight rebounds on top of his steady three-point shooting where he hit four-of-seven treys.
The Patriots’ series-clinching win was similar to what they did against their rivals in Game 2 where they practically dominated the Kuyas. They built their biggest lead at 70-52 on a Ryusell Koga layup and there was no sign of recovery from Bulacan.
