By JONAS TERRADO
NorthPort’s victory over NLEX in last season’s PBA Governors’ Cup quarterfinals marked the 13th time in league history that a game needed three-overtime periods to be completed.
The eighth seed Batang Pier, mentored by Pido Jarencio, came away with a 126-123 win over the No. 1 Road Warriors last Nov. 27 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, eventually getting nod as the Game of the Season by the PBA Press Corps.
It was the second straight year that a triple-overtime affair was determined for the said honor given by the group of PBA reporters during its annual Awards Night.
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel defeated Rain or Shine, 100-9,2 on March 8, 2018 at the Big Dome to receive the Game of the Season award in the 2019 event.
Triple-overtime games have been a rarity since the PBA opened shop in 1975.
The first came on Aug. 17, 1976 when Mariwasa-Noritake defeated Tanduay Rhum, 153-151, at the Big Dome.
Gilbey’s Gin, which later became Ginebra, was on the losing end of the PBA’s next two triple-overtime matches. The Gin Tonics fell the Toyota Super Corollas 136-130 on Oct. 30, 1983 and 170-162 to the Great Taste Coffee Makers on Dec. 6, 1984.
Purefoods downed expansion team Pepsi 182-178 on Oct. 4, 1990 at the ULTRA and new team Sta. Lucia downed eventual champion San Miguel Beer in a Governors’ Cup duel on Nov. 9, 1993 at the Cuneta Astrodome.
The PBA had to wait 11 years before another game went three extra periods as Red Bull won over Purefoods 141-138 on May 22, 2004 at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.
But coaches Yeng Guiao of Red Bull and Ryan Gregorio of Purefoods were fined at undisclosed amount for postgame remarks on the officiating while the three referees who called the game were suspended for two playdates.
It took several months before Red Bull claimed another triple-overtime game, outlasting Sta. Lucia 124-118 on Oct. 26, 2004 in Bacolod City while Purefoods took down Talk ’N Text 109-103 on Oct. 25, 2006 at the Big Dome.
Mac Cardona’s one-handed shot in the final seconds of the third overtime propelled Meralco past Rain or Shine 125-124 on Dec. 15, 2010 and Purefoods Star nipped Talk ’N Text 118-117 on March 14, 2015 in Davao City.
Another triple-overtime game saw one of the highest-scoring performance by a PBA player as Al Thornton dropped 69 points for NLEX in an April 5, 2016 match opposite San Miguel. His efforts, however, went for naught as the Road Warriors fell 100-92.
Thornton’s output remains as the 55th highest scoring game by a player in PBA history, tied with 10th others including Billy Ray Bates, Tony Harris, Bobby Parks and Wes Matthews (twice).
Three players logged at least 60 minutes for suiting up in three overtime games.
NorthPort’s Christian Standhardinger saw action for 61 minutes and two seconds against NLEX last year, breaking the previous record of 61 held by Kerby Raymundo for Purefoods in the Oct. 2006 match against TNT.
Jun Limpot was the other player in the list, playing 60 minutes as a rookie for Sta. Lucia against SMB in 1993.
