CARLO Lastimosa canned two charities with 11.9 seconds left as Binan Tatak Gel rallied to nip South Cotabato, 70-69, on Thursday and force a Game 3 decider in their South Division quarterfinal series in the MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) Sixth Season at the Alonte Sports Arena in Binan, Laguna.
The South Cotabato Warriors got two chances to reverse the outcome, but Jervy Cruz missed an open three and Marwin Dionisio flubbed a short jumper, enabling the Lagunenses to steal Game 2 after narrowly losing the opener, 82-85.
The series will return to the venue on Oct. 23 to determine which team will advance to the semifinal playoffs against Batangas, which swept Davao Occidental, 89-86, in another South quarterfinal series earlier.
Trailing by as many as 12 points after three quarters, Binan threatened at 64-63 following a 13-2 run by JJ Pido, Jaymar Gimpayan and Philip Manalang.
South Cotabato countered on a jumper by Mark Cruz that trickled in and a triple that bounced in by JP Calvo, 69-63, with 3 minutes and 9 seconds to go, forcing Binan Coach Boyet Fernandez to sue for time.
The Warriors went silent the rest of the way while the Lagunenses scavenged for seven points on three free throws by Nino Canaleta, a layup by Pamboy Raymundo, and Lastimosa's game-clinching charities.
It was veteran Marc Pingris who clinched the Daily Fantasy best player honors, however, with a team-high 13 points and 3 rebounds.
Others who delivered for Binan were Kenny Roger Rocacurva with 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists, Jaymar Gimpayan with 10 points and 5 rebounds, and Michael Heinrich Maestre 9 points and 6 rebounds.
South Cotabato, who ruled the boards, 45-35, got 13 points each from Larry Rodriguez and Val Acuna and 11 points from Jammer Jamito.
Batangas City Tanduay Rum banked on Philip Paniamogan's explosion in the fourth quarter to thwart Davao, 89-86.
Paniamogan pumped in all of his nine points in that span on two triples and a crucial off-balanced bank shot that halted the Tigers' final rally, 87-84, and pushed the Rum Masters to their sixth straight semifinal appearance in the two-division, 29-team tournament.
The Rum Masters also battered the Tigers in Game One, 79-66, to cut short the best-of-three series.
Levi Hernandez chalked 20 points, spiked by four triples, and was chosen the Daily Fantasy best player over Cedric Ablaza, who posted 13 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals for Batangas Coach Cholo Villanueva.
The MPBL playoffs resume on Monday, Oct. 21, with Zamboanga Master Sardines and Paranaque disputing another South semifinal seat at 7 p.m. at the Mayor Vitaliano D. Agan Coliseum in Zamboanga City.
