By Waylon Galvez

Alex Cabagnot rediscovered his old form last night, posting a double-double as Coca-Cola reaffirmed its mastery over Rain or Shine, 84-73, in the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup at the Astrodome in Pasay City.
The 5-foot-11 Cabagnot, now on his fourth season in the league, orchestrated the Tigers’ offense with the brilliance of a seasoned conductor, dishing out 15 assists while scattering 15 points.
He also had six rebounds and two steals as he stole the thunder from Rain or Shine’s celebrated rookies – fellow Fil-Am Gabe Norwood and Sol Mercado.
It was Coke’s second straight win in three nights after beating Purefoods, 93-72, as it improved to 5-7.
Rain or Shine, which lost to Coke (112-96) last Oct. 26, fell to 6-6.
The Tigers’ win came before Purefoods surprised San Miguel Beer, 84-83, in the second game.
Rico Villanueva scored the game-winning basket off a feed from Kerby Raymundo under the basket with 0.8 seconds left to play.
It was only the sixth win in 13 games for the Giants but this propped them up to sixth place in the 10-team league.
The Beermen, who absorbed their fifth loss in 12 outings, kept second spot behind idle Alaska Milk.
Interim coach Kenneth Duremdes credited the team’s solid defensive effort in denying their opponent’s running game, limiting Rain or Shine to just seven points off the fast break while controlling the boards, 55-49.
Both teams shot poorly with the Elasto Painters making only 28 of 77 tries for 36.4 shooting clip. The Tigers finished with a 32-of-83 for 38.6 percent.
"Isang indication na kapag maganda ang defense, maganda ang resulta," Duremdes, the league’s 1998 Most Valuable Player (MVP) who improved his coaching record to 4-4 since assuming the post, said.
In particular, Duremdes commended Cabagnot, originally the No. 3 pick in the 2005 PBA Rookie Draft by Sta. Lucia Realty before joining Coke in 2007 Fiesta Cup, for his leadership and poise down the stretch.
Cabagnot, according to Duremdes, was actually a doubtful starter due to tight hamstring that bothered him the past two days.
"It’s the will to win I guess, and he only showed that he’s a true professional," Duremdes said.
After Norwood tied the score at 64-64, the Tigers used a 12-1 run highlighted by Ronjay Buenafe’s two three-pointers for a 76-65 lead with 3:33 left in the game.
The Elasto Painters, however, refused to give up the fight as they trimmed the deficit to just three after Jireh Ibanez and Mercado buried a triple each and the latter added a lay-up, 73-76, with 2:05 to play.
But Asi Taulava, who had a team-high 16 points with 10 rebounds, scored inside the shaded lane off a feed from Cabagnot, and Nick Belasco made it 81-73 with a trey of his own following a missed three-point attempt by Mercado.
With time winding down, Cabagnot capped his explosive night with a three-pointer which Mercado and Norwood did not like. Before leaving the court, Mercado and Cabagnot traded heated words.