Llamados survive Realtors to get back on winning track

Derby Ace promptly got back on the winning track but not after weathering a late endgame comeback by Sta. Lucia, 73-66, in a low-scoring PBA Fiesta Cup game Wednesday at the Astrodome.

The Llamados saw their 21-point, first half lead whittled down to just 70-64 in the final minute of the match only to keep the charging Realtors at bay by going 5-of-6 from the foul line the rest of the way. Derby Ace bounced back from a heartbreaking 97-99 overtime loss against Alaska last week.

The Llamados raised their record to 8-5 and tied Barangay Ginebra at third to fourth places.

Paul Artadi, slowly recovering from a hand injury, sparked the Llamados’ offense with 18 points, while adding six rebounds, five assists and three steals as he was mainly responsible for giving Derby Ace its biggest lead of the game, 43-22, late in the second quarter.

James Yap showed the way for the Llamados with 23 points.

Anthony Johnson led Sta. Lucia with 23 points and 14 rebounds. However, the import also committed 10 turnovers in the Realtors’ lowest total output this conference.

Johnson’s final two points before fouling out brought Sta. Lucia to its closest at 70-64 in the final 62 seconds, but KG Canaleta and Yap answered back at the other end by scoring three straight points from the foul line to ice the game for the Llamados.

It was the fourth straight loss for the Realtors since parting ways with resident superstars Kelly Williams and Ryan Reyes in a blockbuster trade with Talk `N Text.

They are now 4-9 overall, while their output of 66 was the lowest total score ever in the import-laden meet, surpassing the 67 scored by Rain or Shine in a May 5 loss, ironically, against Derby Ace as well.

Canaleta added eight for the Llamados while import Cliff Brown, slowed down by a swollen right wrist, had seven behind an atrocious 1-of-8 shooting from the field and 5-of-10 from the foul line.

With Brown sitting the third quarter, the Realtors slowly inched their way and cut down the deficit to 10 entering the fourth.

The Llamados, however, opened the final period with a 13-2 run, highlighted by back-to-back three-pointers by Artadi and Yap for a 65-44 edge, forcing Boyet Fernandez, whose voice was in a hoarse coaching the Realtors, to promptly sued for a timeout.

The Realtors weren’t finished yet.

Capitalizing on Brown fouling out with four minutes left, Sta. Lucia made one last push in the stretch, with Pong Escobal hitting five straight points, including a long three-pointer inside the final two minutes as the Realtors threatened at 68-62.