BATANG PIER AVOID SHUTOUT

Under threat of an embarrassing sweep in the semifinals, the top-seeded Batang Pier moved heaven and earth to sneak one on Barangay Ginebra, 108-103, and live for another day.

- OLMIN LEYBA

Hardly felt in the first three matches, NorthPort ace Arvin Tolentino dished out a near-triple-double of 20 points, nine rebounds and 11 assists to go with four steals to typify NorthPort's defiant stand at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

"I really had to, otherwise, we're out of it," said Tolentino, who capped his heroics with two free throws that gave NorthPort a five-point cushion in the last 8.5 seconds amid Ginebra's searing uprising from 11 down.

With Kadeem Jack's 39-15-5, William Navarro's 16 spiked by a 4-of-5 clip from three, Joshua Munzon's 14 and Paolo Taha's veteran presence and 11 points complementing Tolentino's all-around effort, NorthPort broke through and extended the series to a Game 5 tomorrow.