A NEW team crashed the winner’s circle in the pro league’s 3×3 play yesterday.
Bucking adversity and an injury to Nico Salva, Platinum Karaoke nipped Cavitex17-15 in overtime to bag the title in Leg 5 of the PBA 3×3 Season 2 Third Conference at Robinsons Las Piñas.
Yves Sazon boomed in a two-pointer that knotted the count at 15 then knocked down the clinching deuce in extra time to cap Platinum’s furious fightback from 9-14 down and emerge as the latest leg winner of the conference after San Miguel Beer, TNT, Ginebra and the Braves.
Salva suffered a sprained ankle in Platinum’s 21-18 decision over the Tropang Giga in the semifinal. With Salva injured, TH Tumalip carried the scoring cudgels for Platinum but had to be given supplemental oxygen before returning into action in the finals.
“It was a no-tomorrow game so we left it all out on the floor,” said Brandon Bates, who provided the pick that gave Sazon the opening to fire the game-winner from deep.
“Pagod na pagod. Pero ang sarap manalo, ang sarap mag-champion,” Tumalip said as Platinum took home the P100,000 top cash prize after ruling the fourth leg of the second conference.
Sazon finished with eight points, while Tumalip added four markers.
Bates had three and Salva two as Platinum continued the different-winner-per-leg trend of the season-ending tournament.
Cavitex’s Jorey Napoles (six), Bong Galanza (five), Dominick Fajardo (three) and Tzaddy Rangel (one) settled for runner-up honors worth P50,000, their failure to close out the matc in regulation dooming their back-to-back bid.
The Tropang Giga joined Platinum and Cavitex in the podium after edging Meralco in the duel for third 21-20, behind the winning layup of Samboy de Leon. TNT pocketed P30,000.
