Petron Blaze powers to first win over Barako Bull

MANILA: Showing more fluidity this time around, Petron Blaze finally played like the powerhouse that it is and mowed down a first foe in the PBA Philippine Cup.
With its transition game in high gear, Petron last night ran roughshod over Barako Bull, 98-89, with Chris Lutz shooting 22 points and Alex Cabagnot firing 16 that went with 10 assists at the Araneta Coliseum.
Their performance was a far departure from their blowout loss to Rain or Shine last week, even though the Boosters showed less reliance on top rookie pick June Mar Fajardo.
Fajardo played for just 16 minutes mainly because of foul trouble and an inside defense by Barako Bull that clamped down on the 6-foot-10 behemoth almost every time he gained a touch in the paint.
But the Petron guards more than made up for that, as Arwind Santos, who now plays the shooting guard position, also knocked in 18 points that went with 11 rebounds to complete a three-sided battering ram for the Boosters.
Petron led by 20 points several times in the third period before the Energy made a game out of it in the fourth by coming within five points once.
But it was clear that the Boosters already had momentum and the Energy were well spent from playing catch-up all night to the tournament’s mightiest team on paper.
The Boosters scored 30 points on fastbreak plays, showing that they adjusted well after being denied the last time out by the Elasto Painters when they tried going to Fajardo more.
“We adjusted in our transition game,” Olsen Racela said after notching his first win as a PBA coach. “Our defense also was key. We held them (Energy) to just 89 points after we had given up 102 (against Rain or Shine).”
Josh Urbiztondo led the Energy with 17 points built around three triple conversions, and Mick Pennisi added 16 with Sean Anthony and Doug Kramer having identical 10-point and 10-rebound games.
Meanwhile, Meralco won its first game in the post-Asi Taulava era earlier in the night by tripping Alaska, 93-86.
Rookie Cliff Hodge was sensational on both ends for the Bolts, who are the only team in the field without a legitimate, talented big man after Taulava left the league to play in the Asean Basketball League.
Hodge scored 12 of his 20 points in the third period when the Bolts broke away as Meralco went on to hand Alaska a second straight loss.
Meralco is now also at 1-1.
Alaska was led by Cyrus Baguio’s 19 points and the Aces seemed listless for the second straight night.
Help will come near the end of the month when Calvin Abueva of San Sebastian, whom the Aces selected second in the Draft behind Fajardo, ends his commitment with his alma mater in the NCAA.
Mac Cardona scattered 16 markers and Ronjay Buenafe scored 13 for the Bolts, who are making do with 6-foot-7 rookie Kelly Nabong and underachieving big man Jay-R Reyes as centers.
“It’s unusual to have a rookie dictate our effort level,” Meralco coach Ryan Gregorio said of Hodge, the fourth overall choice in the Draft. “Obviously, he’s bringing a lot of excitement, dirty work inside. And he also scores.
“When we drafted him, I thought he was just a defensive player, a loose ball diver and rebounder,” Gregorio continued. “But after two games, he’s averaging close to 20.”