Best Deal, Longshot advance in Legends playoffs

Best Deal and Longshot advanced in the playoffs of the Legends Sports Association Invitational Basketball League Season 2 after they won their games last Sunday at the Gillette Multi-Purpose Gymnasium in Gualo Rai.

Best Deal had the best hand in their game against Bourbon Bar & Cafe and won, 93-82.

A slew of multiple back-to-back trips to the free throw line in the last minutes of the game cemented Best Deal’s lead and eventual win. Crunch time saw a desperate Bourbon Bar & Cafe crew try to maintain possession as much as they could, but it backfired as Best Deal sank in all their free throws.

The first half was a seesaw battle between two strong teams, with Best Deal ahead of Bourbon by just 4 points, 46-42.

Best Deal’s shots fired from the 3-point line from the start of the second half was the difference-maker as the once narrow gap ballooned uncontrollably. Best Deal sank five 3-pointers to get the second half going and also allowed fast break plays in between.

They took their momentum with them until the very end as all Bourbon could do was play catch up.

Best Deal’s Jeter Medina led the team with a game-high 28 markers, followed by Jeffrey Victoria’s 26, and Ronald Rueda’s 16.

For Bourbon, J.P. Manansala was the leading scorer with 22 points, while Jose Broncano and Richard Mendoza put up 13 each.

In the nightcap, Longshot eliminated Napa Auto Parts, 91-84.

Longshot’s James Kintz was a force to be reckoned with on the courts once again and shouldered the brunt of the teams’ points. Kintz mirrored Napa’s Jorge De Guzman’s efforts in the first half, as De Guzman went on a shooting spree early on.

De Guzman shot 8 straight points, then went on a tear and shot 8 straight more points. However, Kintz and team led at the end of the first half, 49-40.

Kintz then went on a tear of his own—this time from downtown and fired nine points in between his field goals. It was pretty close for both teams throughout the second half, but Longshot had the upper hand and drowned out Napa’s efforts with a 7-point win, 91-84.

Kintz finished with a game-leading 36 points, followed by Duncan Laxa’s 15 markers and Sean Apasan’s 14. De Guzman’s efforts netted him 29 markers, while Irvin Villarin contributed 15 and Aldrich Castillo shot 12.

In the quarterfinals, Best Deal of Bracket A will face off against Yuman, while Longshot of Bracket B will take on Tax Pro/Triple L.

Last night, Elite Force went up against La Mesa Kusina and Savemore challenged Unity Trade.

Top seeds in Bracket A, Choju and Elite Builders, and top seeds in Bracket B, Kagbros and TanHoldings await the winners of the quarterfinals.

Best Deal 93 – Medina 28, Victoria 26, Rueda 16, Baul 7, Palima 5, D. Tagle 5, M. Tagle 3.

Bourbon Bar & Cafe 82 – Manansala 22, Mendoza 13, Broncano 13, Esmores 12, Lacanilao 6, Binuya 6, Leightley 4, Jose 3, Boringot 3.

Scoring by halves: 46-42, 93-82.

Longshot 91 – Kintz 36, Laxa 15, Apasan 14, Malonzo 9, Formales 9, Echavez 8.

Napa Auto Parts 84 – De Guzman 29, Villarin 15, Castillo 12, Tibayan 12, Catalla 8, Montano 5, De Jesus 2, Ege 1.

Scoring by halves: 49-40, 91-84.