Platinum Karaoke shone like gold as they overcame Cavitex in a thrilling come-from-behind victory, with a final score of 17-15, to secure Leg 5 of the PBA 3×3 Third Conference Season 2, Sunday at Robinsons Place Las Pinas.
Yves Sazon was the hero of the hour for Platinum, sinking consecutive two-pointers to seal the championship and complete the team’s hard-fought journey to the top.
Sazon had a standout performance, with eight points and four rebounds, leading the way under the guidance of Coach Anton Altamirano and earning the top prize of P100,000.
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Terrence Tumalip contributed four points, while Brandon Bates and Nico Salva scored three and two points respectively. This win marked Platinum Karaoke’s first leg title this conference, after a second-place finish behind Barangay Ginebra in Leg 4 two weeks prior.
For Cavitex, the loss was a devastating blow, as they led for much of the game and held a 15-13 advantage with only 60 seconds remaining. Dominick Fajardo’s jump shot was the final basket for the Braves, as Sazon took charge and guided Platinum Karaoke to victory. Cavitex received P50,000 for their runner-up finish and had their bid for a consecutive title thwarted.
Platinum Karaoke defeated Leg 1 winner San Miguel Beermen (21-20) in the quarterfinals and Leg 2 champion TNT Tropang Giga (21-18) in the semifinals, en route to winning the championship. Meanwhile, Cavitex defeated NorthPort (15-11) and Meralco (16-13) to reach the finals.
In the battle for third place, TNT fought tooth and nail against Meralco before securing a 21-20 win. The Tropang Giga received P30,000 thanks to seven points from Samboy De Leon and six from Almond Vosotros.
The scores
Third Place
TNT (21) – De Leon 7, Vosotros 6, Mendoza 4, Flores 4.
Meralco (20) – Batino 9, Manday 5, Santos 3, Caduyac 3.
Finals
Platinum Karaoke (17) – Sazon 8, Tumalip 4, Bates 3, Salva 2
Cavitex (15) – Napoles 6, Galanza 5, Fajardo 3, Rangel 1.
