The Sta. Lucia Realtors moved on the threshold of securing their first-ever All-Filipino title when they subdued the Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants, 88-76, in Game Five of the PBA Philippine Cup best-of-seven finals at the Araneta Coliseum.With a 3-2 lead, the Realtors could wrap up the series in Game Six on Wednesday and taste just their second title since joining the league in 1993. Sta. Lucia's first crown came when they ruled the 2001 Governors Cup. Last night, Sta. Lucia played without Joseph Yeo, while Purefoods was without James Yap as the two served one-game suspensions due to unsportsmanlike behaviors. Yap's absence left a huge hole in Purefoods' offense as the deadly shooter is averaging 27.2 points-a-game in the series. Yeo is good for 16.7 points per game in the heated championship showdown. As a sign of disgust, Purefoods board representative Rene Pardo on Sunday resigned as chairman of the ethics committee. “I am resigning to stress our point that we are not happy with the decision to suspend Yap,” said Pardo. Aside from the suspensions, Yap and Yeo were also meted P20,000 and P30,000, respectively. After a dismal performance in Games Three and Four, Kelly Williams finally recovered his old form as he tallied 20 points, 16 rebounds and two blocked shots. Kerby Raymundo led the Giants with 20 markers. BOX SCORES:
STA. LUCIA (88) – Williams 20, Espino 15, Omolon 14, Aquino 12, Mendoza 9, Reyes 8, Miranda 6, Gonzales 2, Coronel 2.
PUREFOODS (76) – Raymundo 20, Lanete 10, Castillo 9, R. Yap 8, Pingris 8, Evangelista 6, Adducul 5, Salvador 4, Sanz 3, Simon 3.
QUARTERSCORES: 15-19, 37-39, 62-50, 88-76. /Correspondent Calvin D. Cordova |
