Some players could only dream of iconic game moments. JD Cagulangan minted three of those in just a minute and 22 seconds. The ones he made were extra-special that they will live for a long, long time, especially among the University of the Philippines (UP) community. Intentionally or not, the last two are even eerily similar to plays popularized by two iconic NBA superstars.
Cagulangan turned John Stockton and James Harden-like for the Fighting Maroons during the dying seconds of Game 3 of UAAP Season 84’s men’s basketball finals to lift UP to it’s 3rd overall title.
For a second, Ateneo looked like it will continue its domination of the league when Gian Mamuyac drained a triple from deep left corner under shot clock duress to hand the Blue Eagles a 69-64 lead, 1:47 left in overtime.
It was at this point Cagulangan went ballistic, sending the UP crowd at the Mall of Asia Arena into frenzy mode.
The next play saw finals MVP Malick Diouf airballing a long-two jumper from the left corner.
Cagulangan, who was on his way to go downcourt, came back to snare an offensive rebound, then ran to the right side of three point land and fired a turnaround, fadeaway triple over a Blue Eagle defender with the shot clock almost going off. The shot swished, breathing life back to UP’s campaign, 67-69, 1:22 left.
Ateneo failed to convert in their next play, giving UP another crack at the basket.
What UP fans witnessed next was a patented Stockton-to-Malone basket.
With nine seconds to shoot, Cagulangan used a Diouf pick on top of the key to draw a double team and dished a brilliant pass to the rolling Diouf for a thundering two-handed slam. UP ties the game 69-all, 40 seconds to play.
After Dave Ildefonso muffed a fadeaway jumper inside the paint, Cagulangan gets a chance to orchestrate the winning play as Doiuf hands him the ball off a rebound he secured, 17 seconds left.
“Stockton and Malone” went with the same play, a top of the key screen by Diouf with Cagulangan going to left side.
The UP guard, however, decided to take matters in his own hands this time.
What happened next was a play that looked like a patented James Harden move. Cagulangan starts his motion with a seeming drive to the basket before stepping back outside the three-point arc for the game-sealing trey.
The only flaw of this play was he left 0.5 of a second for Ateneo to attempt a final comeback from the 72-69 UP lead.
What makes this sequence more gratifying personally for Cagulangan was it redeemed him from being the possible goat for committing a turnover in regulation that nearly costed UP the game.
With the Fighting Maroons up by 4, 56-52, and having ball possession with 2:39 seconds left, Cagulangan stepped on the sideline after receiving the baseline inbound to give the ball back to Ateneo.
Verano immediately converted a top of the key triple from a SJ Belangel assist to ignite a 7-0 Blue Eagle run, giving Ateneo a 59-56 lead with time down to 57 seconds.
Cagulangan will have to thank CJ Cansino for canning a long triple via the backboard from his return pass to send the game to overtime and set up his heroics.
The championship was State U’s first since 1986,the year when UP legends Benjie Paras, Ronnie Magsanoc, and Eric Altamirano made their marks under legendary college coach Joe Lipa.
Their other title came way back in 1939.
This was the second Ateneo and UP finals matchup in the last three played out UAAP seasons. The Fighting Maroons was dominated in Season 81 but clearly got the number of the Blue Eagles this year.
Ateneo was on a 39-game winning streak when UP halted the run during the eliminations. The couple of losses in the finals meant the Blue Eagles lost three of their last five games.
The second-seeded UP ousted La Salle in the semis in two games, 80-83 and 78-074, then split the first two games of the finals with Ateneo, 81-74 and 66-69.
The Fighting Maroons has entered the final four three straight seasons.
The were seeded third in Season 81 but overcame a twice-to-beat disadvantage to upset second Adamson University.
They were the second seed in Season 82 but lost two straight to University of Santo Tomas in the semis to exit the tournament early.
Season 83 was canceled due to the CoVid-19 pandemic.
By: Armando M. Bolislis
Photo lifted from UAAP facebook page
