The Purefoods TJ Titans leaned defeated the Meralco Bolts, 21-16, in the finals of the PBA 3X3 Lakas Ng Tatlo tournament to bag the Leg 4 tile at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.
Pao Javelona took charge with a game-high 10 points for the Titans, making the most out of their breakthrough appearance in the championship round of the three-a-side tournament.
The 6-foot guard out of National University sparked a closing 6-1 spurt by Purefoods, including three in a row that allowed the team to break free from a tight contest and finally take control, 18-15.
Big man Jun Bonsubre, a replacement for the injured Val Acuna, then capped the run with a long two to clinch the title and the top purse of P100,000.
“Gusto talaga naming manalo,” Javelona said. “Kahit anong mangyari sa games, focus lang kami, bad calls man or turnovers. Basta next play kami, kasi sa 3×3 mahirap pag nag-dwell ka sa mali mo. Mabilis ang laro, so magkakamali ka na, which us like double blackeye.”
Joseph Eriobu added five points while Jed Mendoza and Bonsubre had three each to round out the scoring for Purefoods.
“I’m just happy for the boys. Yung hard work nila na-reward this time sa fourth leg ng 3×3,” champion coach Tony Boy Espinosa said.
Meralco, the Leg 2 winner, settled for P50,000 as the quartet of Tonino Gonzaga, Alfred Batino, Joseph Sedurifa, and Dexter Maiquez and coached by Patrick Fran placed runner-up for the second time in the tournament.
In the battle for third, TNT outlasted top seed Platinum Karaoke in a thrilling finish, 21-20, to take home P30,000.
Leg 5 of the 3×3 season opener will be played on Saturday (Dec. 11) also at the Ynares Sports Arena.
The scores
Third place
TNT (21) – Vosotros 12, De Leon 7, Flores 2, Gozum 0.
Platinum (20) – De Chavez 9, Monteclaro 8, Alabanza 3, Dehesa 0.
Finals
Purefoods (21) – Javelosa 10, Eriobu 5, Bonsubre 3, Mendoza 3.
Meralco (16) – Gonzaga 5, Batino 5, Sedurifa 5, Maiquez 1.
(PR) – bny
