Ginebra grabs finals ticket
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel leaned on a torrid start before sustaining the lead till the end to beat the Star Hotshots, 8976, and arrange a title showdown with sister team San Miguel Beermen for the PBA Philippine Cup title.
Ginebra scored the game's first six points, then took a 21-7 lead behind Sol Mercado, Japeth Aguilar, Scottie Thompson and Joe Devance before thwarting a Hotshots rally at the end of the third to prevail in a Manila Clasico series that had bits of drama and defensive battles.
Most of the 20,000 fans at the Mall of Asia Arena, including the great Robert Jaworski who arrived midway through the third frame, celebrated Ginebra's second straight trip to the finals where it will face San Miguel in a series that starts on Friday at the same venue.
It will be fifth meeting between the two San Miguel Corporation franchise – perhaps two of the most famous teams in the PBA. The Beermen, who held the league's best record after the eliminations clash with a Ginebra team that placed just seventh but peaked in the games that mattered.
“It was a real team effort, as a coach you enjoy it when everybody contributes,” said Ginebra coach Tim Cone, who will make his 37th finals appearance.
Mercado topscored with 23 points, LA Tenorio had 21 points, four rebounds and five assists while Aguilar added 19 for Ginebra, which seemed to have played with more energy than in the previous six games.
It was evident right from the get-go when Aguilar scored the game's first four points followed by a Devance basket, 9:24 remaining, that forced Star to a quick timeout. Mercado and Thompson joined the fray to build that 21-7 lead on the latter's split from the charity stripe, 2 ½ minutes left.
Ginebra took its biggest lead at 3318 on Jervy Cruz's basket in the second quarter. Star tried to mount a rally but it seems that Ginebra always had answers to those threats.
The closest the Hotshots got was at four when Raffi Reavis ended the third with a basket, 61-65. However, Ginebra put on a telling 17-6 run in the fourth, ending with a Cruz basket off a fastbreak finish for a 79-67 lead, 5:54 to play.
Mercado 23, Tenorio 21, Aguilar 19, Thompson 10, Devance 7, Cruz 6, Ferrer 2, Marcelo 1, Caguioa 0, Ellis 0.
Maliksi 22, Pingris 17, Ramos 14, Barroca 8, Reavis 5, Lee 4, Jalalon 4, Melton 2, Simon 0, Sangalang 0, De la Rosa 0.
Quarters: 26-16; 45-36; 65-61; 89-76.