PBA Sunday: Kings snap Llamados' 5-game streak
29 November 2010
Barangay Ginebra survived a barrage of three-pointers from Derby Ace down the stretch to pull off an 89-86 win Sunday night at the Big Dome. It snapped the win streak of the hottest team in the PBA Philippine Cup.
Ronald Tubid waxed hot from beyond the arc, while Eric Menk was virtually unstoppable inside as the Kings negated the hot shooting of the defending champions from three-point range to complete the victory before a crowd of 14,074.
The Kings have now improved their card to 8-3 overall, giving them enough cushion to break free from Talk `N Text (7-3) for solo second in the standings.
Menk had a conference-high 20 points with five rebounds. He went 12-of-14 from the foul line. His four straight free throws within a minute broke the final deadlock and put the Kings on top for good, 85-81, with 1:22 remaining.
“They’re a tough team. They really played physical and gave us a big scare," said Menk of the defending champions, who had gone on a five-game winning streak.
“I guess we’re just lucky enough to pull this one off," Menk added.
Peter June Simon finished with 26 points and James Yap added 14 as they presided over a big scoring spree from rainbow territory in the final five minutes. It put the Llamados in a perfect position to win the game of changing fortunes.
With the Llamados trailing 70-75, Simon and James Yap nailed back-to-back three-pointers to give Derby Ace a one-point cushion.
Following a Ginebra miscue, Simon scored on a completed three-point play off a Mike Cortez foul as the Llamados stormed to a 79-75 lead.
But the Kings hardly lost their poise.
Tubid drained a long three-pointer as the shot clock wound down. And after a miss by Roger Yap, Willie Miller found Tubid free at the right flank for another booming trey. The Kings grabbed the lead anew, 81-79, amidst the usual chants of "Gi-nebra! Gi-nebra! Gi-nebra!" inside the Big Dome.
Don Allado pulled off a jumper in the next play to level the count for the last time, 81-81.
Caguioa had 18 points for the Kings while Tubid and Miller each had 12.
Simon was 10-of-15 from the field and scored 10 points in the opening quarter.
His long three-pointer with 9.5 seconds left had the Llamados threatening for the last time at 86-87.
Miller made it a three-point game, sinking both his charities after a duty foul to stop the game clock.
But with no timeouts left in the final 6.6 seconds, the reigning champions were forced to launch a hurried shot, with James Yap’s attempt from three-point line hardly touching the rim.
SMB STALLS GINEBRA RUN, STAYS ON TOP
22 November 2010
FOR the second time in as many meetings, San Miguel Beer got through the wringer that is Barangay
Ginebra.
And the Beermen are in for some form of celebration since their 79-78 escape Sunday virtually
assured them of a top two ranking and an enviable reward in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Araneta
Coliseum.
The victory jacked SMB’s win-loss record to a tourney-leading 9-2 and at least one more win in
its last three eliminations games will give it a slot in the top two and a twice-to-beat advantage
in the quarterfinals that goes along with it.
“Ang sabi ko sa team, this is a very important game for us, kasi this will help determine kung
number 1 or 2 kami sa standings,” said winning coach Ato Agustin. “Ngayong nangyari na,
napakaganda na ng posisyon namin.”
Dondon Hontiveros had 20 points and Jay Washington finished with 11 points, 12 rebounds, three
assists and as many blocks. He also tipped in his own miss to make it a 79-78 game, 13.4 seconds
remaining.
But it was Arwind Santos who reprised his hero’s role, much like in their first meeting which SMB
barely won 69-68 last Oct. 17. In that game, the rangy Santos forced Willie Miller to dribble off
his foot in the dying seconds.
Miller got the inbound and went baseline, but his shot was blocked from behind by Santos and the
ball went to Dondon Hontiveros, who dribbled away from the Kings who were trying to foul him in the
remaining seconds.
Despite blowing as much as a 64-50 third quarter lead it remained another sterling performance by
SMB since it showed one collective mind-set Agustin likes.
“Nakita ko ‘yung players hindi nag-give up, especially sa defense,” Agustin said. “Ang
gusto ko, composure di nawala. We were leading by 14, then we started to relax kaya sila nakahabol.
At least nakabalik pa rin kami. Di na-rattle, di nag-panic ang mga bata.”
Mark Caguioa wound up with 16 points and nine rebounds to lead Ginebra, with the bulk of his points
and boards coming in leading the Kings’ fightback that brought them level at 68.
Miller faked off three defenders to connect on a short stab and Rudy Hatfield canned two charities
to give the Kings a 76-75 edge and the latter’s own undergoal basket off a feed by Ronald Tubid
kept them ahead 78-77, still 28.7 seconds to go.
The game marked the third one-point loss by Ginebra and it became apparent when it blew an early
19-9 lead enroute to giving up the most first half points of 45 while scoring only 40.
Caguioa would not let the Kings’ fans among the more than 14,000 in attendance by doing it all in
the last two minutes of the third, bringing them within 59-66.
Rookie Jimbo Aquino, Agustin’s former NCAA MVP at San Sebastian, helped Caguioa along with two
triples in the early fourth period.
The scores:
San Miguel 79 - Hontiveros 20, Santos 15, Washington 11, Seigle 9, Cabagnot 8, Yeo 6, Pena 6,
Miranda 2, Ildefonso 2, Tugade 0, Racela 0.
Ginebra 78 - Caguioa 16, Tubid 15, Miller 11, Hatfield 10, Aquino 8, Wilson 5, Villanueva 5, Menk
4, Cortez 2, Helterbrand 2.
Quarters: 21-22, 45-40, 66-59, 79-78
Ginebra.
And the Beermen are in for some form of celebration since their 79-78 escape Sunday virtually
assured them of a top two ranking and an enviable reward in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Araneta
Coliseum.
The victory jacked SMB’s win-loss record to a tourney-leading 9-2 and at least one more win in
its last three eliminations games will give it a slot in the top two and a twice-to-beat advantage
in the quarterfinals that goes along with it.
“Ang sabi ko sa team, this is a very important game for us, kasi this will help determine kung
number 1 or 2 kami sa standings,” said winning coach Ato Agustin. “Ngayong nangyari na,
napakaganda na ng posisyon namin.”
Dondon Hontiveros had 20 points and Jay Washington finished with 11 points, 12 rebounds, three
assists and as many blocks. He also tipped in his own miss to make it a 79-78 game, 13.4 seconds
remaining.
But it was Arwind Santos who reprised his hero’s role, much like in their first meeting which SMB
barely won 69-68 last Oct. 17. In that game, the rangy Santos forced Willie Miller to dribble off
his foot in the dying seconds.
Miller got the inbound and went baseline, but his shot was blocked from behind by Santos and the
ball went to Dondon Hontiveros, who dribbled away from the Kings who were trying to foul him in the
remaining seconds.
Despite blowing as much as a 64-50 third quarter lead it remained another sterling performance by
SMB since it showed one collective mind-set Agustin likes.
“Nakita ko ‘yung players hindi nag-give up, especially sa defense,” Agustin said. “Ang
gusto ko, composure di nawala. We were leading by 14, then we started to relax kaya sila nakahabol.
At least nakabalik pa rin kami. Di na-rattle, di nag-panic ang mga bata.”
Mark Caguioa wound up with 16 points and nine rebounds to lead Ginebra, with the bulk of his points
and boards coming in leading the Kings’ fightback that brought them level at 68.
Miller faked off three defenders to connect on a short stab and Rudy Hatfield canned two charities
to give the Kings a 76-75 edge and the latter’s own undergoal basket off a feed by Ronald Tubid
kept them ahead 78-77, still 28.7 seconds to go.
The game marked the third one-point loss by Ginebra and it became apparent when it blew an early
19-9 lead enroute to giving up the most first half points of 45 while scoring only 40.
Caguioa would not let the Kings’ fans among the more than 14,000 in attendance by doing it all in
the last two minutes of the third, bringing them within 59-66.
Rookie Jimbo Aquino, Agustin’s former NCAA MVP at San Sebastian, helped Caguioa along with two
triples in the early fourth period.
The scores:
San Miguel 79 - Hontiveros 20, Santos 15, Washington 11, Seigle 9, Cabagnot 8, Yeo 6, Pena 6,
Miranda 2, Ildefonso 2, Tugade 0, Racela 0.
Ginebra 78 - Caguioa 16, Tubid 15, Miller 11, Hatfield 10, Aquino 8, Wilson 5, Villanueva 5, Menk
4, Cortez 2, Helterbrand 2.
Quarters: 21-22, 45-40, 66-59, 79-78
SOLO LEAD AT STAKE IN SAN MIGUEL – GINEBRA CLASH
November 21, 2010
In pursuit of their seventh consecutive victory, the Barangay Ginebra Kings turn to revenge for motivation when they face the San Miguel Beermen Sunday in a crucial rematch.
“We’re looking forward [to Sunday’s game],” said Barangay Ginebra coach Jong Uichico after the Kings demolished Barako Bull, 90-78, last Wednesday for their sixth consecutive victory in the 2010-11 PBA Philippine Cup.
Uichico said his players understand the urgency to win every game and they're undoubtedly even more motivated to clinch this one.
Surely the Kings relish their accomplishments, but none of those could be as gratifying as a win against the Beermen and dislodging them from the no. 1 spot – a goal Uichico believes is realistically achievable.
“We just have to do the best we could and hopefully we could win enough games to get us there. Malayo pa [elimination round] but we like to be in that spot to have some breathing room,” the low-keyed Kings coach said.
The Barangay Ginebra-SMB rematch comes off at 6:30 p.m. and will be the highlight of Sunday's double-header at the Araneta Coliseum. The other match pits struggling Alaska against cellardweller Barako Bull at 4 o'clock.
In their first meeting on Oct. 17, the Kings allowed a 21-point advantage in the first half to dissipate and they eventually lost a 78-79 cliffhanger to the Beermen on the night Ato Agustin made his debut as the full-pledged SMB head coach.
Give credit to their resilience though, the Kings bounced back quickly from that stunner and steadily went on a roll to catch up with the leaders.
Agustin said he is impressed by the Kings’ steady rise but emphasized his troops also have a target.
“Ginebra is currently in a zone right now. Mabigat kalaban ang Ginebra sa mga panahon na ito. But we are just as motivated. This game is very important to us and we hope to get the job done. Let's see what happens," Agustin said.
By his estimation, the Beermen (8-2) could put a lock on the No.1 spot with a repeat victory over the Kings, assuring them a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals.
"We have the opportunity to seal it kaya di namin ito pakakawalan.We really want to clinch that twice-to-beat advantage," said the SMB coach.
Alaska coach Tim Cone is also urging his Aces to play with urgency and get some momentum as the playoffs near.
The Aces have lost five of their last six games and are tied with Meralco and Rain or Shine for fifth to seventh spots.
"It's the stretch run to the playoffs and we need to start playing better basketball. We need a greater sense of urgency and it has to start with our game against Barako Bull," Cone said.
Reeling from four consecutive defeats, the 2-7 Barako Bull is in dire need of a victory to stave off elimination and stay in contention for a playoff spot. (DBC)
Caguioa helps rampaging Ginebra to 6th straight win
November 18, 2010
Mark Caguioa scored 14 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter to power Barangay Ginebra to its sixth straight win as it topped slumping Barako Bull, 90-78, on Wednesday in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.
Holding on to a slim 62-58 lead after three quarters, the Gin Kings leaned on Caguioa’s offensive onslaught in the final period to improve to a 7-2 win-loss mark.
The 6-foot-2 spitfire guard, who also played big in the fourth in Ginebra’s last game, once again showed his old fiery form when he made 10 of the team’s first 12 fourth-quarter points, capped by a triple with 7:01 left to give the Kings a 74-66 spread.
The Energy Boosters managed to keep in step with the Kings for three quarters but could not stop Caguioa’s scoring rampage in the fourth.
“It was kind of a slow start for us in the first half and we got going in the second half, especially in the fourth. We executed better on offense and played effectively in the second half," said Caguioa, who also had six rebounds and three assists.
“We struggled at the start. That’s what we were afraid o,f that we might take Barako lightly. We were able to make a run towards the end of the game, just like in our last game. We’re lucky just to be able to make a run at the end. We made shots at the end," said Ginebra coach Jong Uichico.
As the hottest team presently, Ginebra has posted a six-game winning run, the longest by any team in the season-opening conference.
“It’s good that we won it, and we can look forward to Sunday’s game," said Uichico, whose squad will face an acid test on Sunday against sister team San Miguel.
Ronald Tubid paced Ginebra with a game-high 19 points with five rebounds, while Willie Miller added 10 markers and eight boards.
Barako dropped its fourth straight game to slip further down at the bottom of the standings with a 2-7 mark.
Sunday Salvacion paced the Energy Boosters with 15 points and six rebounds while Paolo Hubalde chipped in 14 in another losing effort.
It was the Kings’ second win against the Energy Boosters this conference, after a 93-74 rout last month. That victory actually started Ginebra's winning run. – JVP/KY, GMANews.TV
Scores:
Ginebra 90 – Tubid 19, Caguioa 17, Miller 10, Mamaril 9, Vilanueva 9, Wilson 6, Cortez 6, Helterbrand 5, Aquino 4, Hatfield 3, Menk 2, De Ocampo 0.
Barako Bull 78 – Salvacion 15, Hubalde 14, Isip 13, Alonzo 10, Daa 10, Andaya 6, Hermida 4, Cruz 4, Yee 2, Juntilla 0, Dimaunahan 0, Wainwright 0.
Quarters: 18-14, 39-37, 62-58, 90-78.
Holding on to a slim 62-58 lead after three quarters, the Gin Kings leaned on Caguioa’s offensive onslaught in the final period to improve to a 7-2 win-loss mark.
The 6-foot-2 spitfire guard, who also played big in the fourth in Ginebra’s last game, once again showed his old fiery form when he made 10 of the team’s first 12 fourth-quarter points, capped by a triple with 7:01 left to give the Kings a 74-66 spread.
The Energy Boosters managed to keep in step with the Kings for three quarters but could not stop Caguioa’s scoring rampage in the fourth.
“It was kind of a slow start for us in the first half and we got going in the second half, especially in the fourth. We executed better on offense and played effectively in the second half," said Caguioa, who also had six rebounds and three assists.
“We struggled at the start. That’s what we were afraid o,f that we might take Barako lightly. We were able to make a run towards the end of the game, just like in our last game. We’re lucky just to be able to make a run at the end. We made shots at the end," said Ginebra coach Jong Uichico.
As the hottest team presently, Ginebra has posted a six-game winning run, the longest by any team in the season-opening conference.
“It’s good that we won it, and we can look forward to Sunday’s game," said Uichico, whose squad will face an acid test on Sunday against sister team San Miguel.
Ronald Tubid paced Ginebra with a game-high 19 points with five rebounds, while Willie Miller added 10 markers and eight boards.
Barako dropped its fourth straight game to slip further down at the bottom of the standings with a 2-7 mark.
Sunday Salvacion paced the Energy Boosters with 15 points and six rebounds while Paolo Hubalde chipped in 14 in another losing effort.
It was the Kings’ second win against the Energy Boosters this conference, after a 93-74 rout last month. That victory actually started Ginebra's winning run. – JVP/KY, GMANews.TV
Scores:
Ginebra 90 – Tubid 19, Caguioa 17, Miller 10, Mamaril 9, Vilanueva 9, Wilson 6, Cortez 6, Helterbrand 5, Aquino 4, Hatfield 3, Menk 2, De Ocampo 0.
Barako Bull 78 – Salvacion 15, Hubalde 14, Isip 13, Alonzo 10, Daa 10, Andaya 6, Hermida 4, Cruz 4, Yee 2, Juntilla 0, Dimaunahan 0, Wainwright 0.
Quarters: 18-14, 39-37, 62-58, 90-78.
credit to: http://www.ginebraonline.com/
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