Carlo Lastimosa sank two clutch free throws with 11.9 seconds remaining as Binan Tatak Gel rallied to edge South Cotabato, 70-69, on Thursday, forcing a Game 3 decider in their South Division quarterfinal series in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League Sixth Season at the Alonte Sports Arena in Binan, Laguna.
The South Cotabato Warriors had two chances to turn the game around, but Jervy Cruz missed an open three-pointer, and Marwin Dionisio missed a short jumper, allowing the Lagunenses to steal Game 2 after narrowly dropping the opener, 82-85.
The series will return to the same venue on Oct. 23 to determine which team will advance to the semifinal round against Batangas, who swept Davao Occidental, 89-86, in another South Division quarterfinal series.
Trailing by as many as 12 points after three quarters, Binan closed the gap to 64-63 with a 13-2 run led by JJ Pido, Jaymar Gimpayan, and Philip Manalang.
South Cotabato responded with a jumper by Mark Cruz and a triple by JP Calvo, extending their lead to 69-63 with 3 minutes and 9 seconds remaining, prompting Binan coach Boyet Fernandez to call a timeout.
The Warriors went scoreless for the rest of the game, while the Lagunenses clawed their way back with seven points—three free throws from Niño Canaleta, a layup by Pamboy Raymundo, and Lastimosa’s game-winning charities.
Despite Lastimosa’s heroics, it was veteran Marc Pingris who earned Daily Fantasy best player honors, finishing with a team-high 13 points and 3 rebounds.
Other key contributors for Binan included Kenny Roger Rocacurva, who had 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists; Jaymar Gimpayan, who added 10 points and 5 rebounds; and Michael Heinrich Maestre, who chipped in 9 points and 6 rebounds.
South Cotabato, who dominated the boards 45-35, was led by Larry Rodriguez and Val Acuna with 13 points each, while Jammer Jamito contributed 11 points.
Despite struggling from beyond the arc, converting just 2 of 12 attempts for 16.7%, the Lagunenses managed to survive against the Warriors, who shot 10 of 35 from three-point range for 28.6-percent.
