LA Tenorio unloaded 26 points, including the go-ahead three-point shot with 2.5 seconds left in overtime, to lead the Alaska Aces to a pulse-pounding 99-97 victory against the B-Meg Derby Ace Llamados Friday night at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in the PBA Fiesta Conference. Reliving once again their heated rivalry in the Finals of the last Philippine Cup, the Aces and the Llamados fought tooth and nail until the end when the breaks of the game finally decided the outcome. After import Cliff Brown scored his 34th point of the game to give Derby Ace a two-point lead with 21.9 seconds left, Tenorio created a shot for himself despite the stifling Llamados defense and coolly swished in a three-pointer to give Alaska the lead, 98-87. The Llamados still had a chance to win the game with 2.5 seconds left, but they committed a grievous inbounds violation, allowing Alaska to regain possession of the ball. Tenorio was fouled with a second left, sinking the first free throw and deliberately missing the second to preserve Alaska's victory. Derby Ace had earlier sent the game into overtime with a three-point shot by James Yap that knotted the score at 87-all at the end of the fourth quarter. Yap finished with 22 points. It was the Aces' second win against the Llamados this conference and their seventh overall against five losses. Alaska also edged Derby Ace, 86-84, in their previous meeting. With the win, Alaska tied Derby Ace for fifth to sixth place in the standings. In the first game of the double-header, the Talk N Text Tropang Texters demolished the struggling Air21 Express 126-100. The Texters thus notched their ninth straight win tying idle defending champion San Miguel Beermen at the top of the standings, both with 10-2 win-loss records. After a close 99-98 win over Barako Coffee last Sunday, Air21 dropped back to the cellar as its suffered its 11th defeat in 13 games. The Texters' total score was a new season-high, breaking the 122 marks set by Alaska and Ginebra during the Philippine Cup. TNT also posted a new record for the most number of points scored in three quarters at 100 this season. The Texters' mighty offense mercilessly slaughtered the dazed Express enroute to TNT's biggest winning margin the past three conferences. Kelly Williams topscored for TNT with 26 points.
