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MANILA: Against Barangay Ginebra, no lead is safe.
Smart-Gilas learned about it too late.
The league’s most popular team fought back from a 15-point, third quarter deficit, and then pulled away in the fourth as the Gin Kings made a return trip to the Finals, displaying experience at its best once more in beating the Nationals, 92-85, Sunday night in Game 4 of their semifinal series in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Araneta Colizeum.
Ronald Tubid bounced back from a three-point, 1-out-of-10 field-goal performance in Game Three to produce a team-high 22 points, 11 coming in the third period and 18 coming from the three-point territory as Ginebra arranged a best-of-seven championship duel with Talk ‘N Text starting on Wednesday.
“It’s nice to be back in the championships,” said Ginebra head coach Jong Uichico. “Gilas is a tough opponent. They’re a team that’s coached very well, their system is so fluid and we had to find ways just to stay in the game. They just missed shots in the end, and I think we played very good defense.” Tubid also collected 10 rebounds for a rare double-double, and Rudy Hatfield added 16 points and eight rebounds while Mark Caguioa submitted 15 points and seven boards for Ginebra, which will be appearing in a 19th Finals aiming to clinch a ninth title.
Willie Miller likewise had a big night. The two-time MVP scored 10 of Ginebra’s first 12 points in the fourth quarter, parrying Smart-Gilas’ last stand when it grabbed back the lead at 71-69 but failed to sustain it after the Kings stormed to an 80-71 bulge that was never threatened again.
Talk ‘N Text and Ginebra only met in a championship once. That was in the 2005 Fiesta Conference when the Tropang Texters were still mentored by Joel Banal and the Kings by Siot Tanquingcen. Ginebra won that duel in six games.
“I think they’re (Texters) strong,” said Uichico of the Texters, who were able to advance into the championships via a three-game sweep of the Air21 Express in the semi-finals. There’s no time to relax.” Ginebra conquered the Nationals despite drawing the poorest performance from Nate Brumfield, who only had nine points on 3-of-10 shooting from the floor. And the Kings managed to win the game even though the guest team appeared headed for a blowout early in the third.
Ahead 45-36 at the half, the Nationals widened their lead to 51-36.
Ginebra called for time, and the Kings returned onto the floor a different breed.
Unloading one of the rarest blasts, Ginebra unleashed a 19-0 run (55-51) before JV Casio ended Smart-Gilas’ silence. But the Kings retaliated with six straight points to make it a 61-53 ball game with 3:39 left to play in the third period where Ginebra settled for a 68-65 advantage. Tubid had 11 points in the third quarter.
Good thing for the Kings Tubid was in form.
The former University of the East star, who shot 1-of-10 from the field in the previous game, shot 6-of-13 from the floor this time.
The last time the Kings were in a championship was in the 2009 Fiesta Conference. Ginebra, however, lost that series to sister-team San Miguel Beer in seven games. Ginebra won its last title in the 2007-08 Fiesta Conference with Chris Alexander as import.
Marcus Douthit, again riddled with fouls, had 25 points and 17 rebounds for the Nationals, whose next stop in its itinerary is the Champions’ Cup the country is hosting late May.
Douthit scored six points in an 11-2 assault in the opening quarter to erase a 16-15 deficit and take a 26-18 lead. The Nationals never gave up the advantage to the Kings for the first half since then, coming through with fight-backs every time Ginebra came to within 35-33 and 38-36.
Smart-Gilas held a 45-36 lead at the half after closing it with a 7-0 blast capped by a triple from Lassiter. The Nationals also shot bpening two quarters, converting 18-of-39 from the field (46.2 percent) while holding the Kings to a horrible 34.1 percent clip from the floor (14-of-41).
Douthit already scattered 16 points in the first half alone.
Smart-Gilas learned about it too late.
The league’s most popular team fought back from a 15-point, third quarter deficit, and then pulled away in the fourth as the Gin Kings made a return trip to the Finals, displaying experience at its best once more in beating the Nationals, 92-85, Sunday night in Game 4 of their semifinal series in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Araneta Colizeum.
Ronald Tubid bounced back from a three-point, 1-out-of-10 field-goal performance in Game Three to produce a team-high 22 points, 11 coming in the third period and 18 coming from the three-point territory as Ginebra arranged a best-of-seven championship duel with Talk ‘N Text starting on Wednesday.
“It’s nice to be back in the championships,” said Ginebra head coach Jong Uichico. “Gilas is a tough opponent. They’re a team that’s coached very well, their system is so fluid and we had to find ways just to stay in the game. They just missed shots in the end, and I think we played very good defense.” Tubid also collected 10 rebounds for a rare double-double, and Rudy Hatfield added 16 points and eight rebounds while Mark Caguioa submitted 15 points and seven boards for Ginebra, which will be appearing in a 19th Finals aiming to clinch a ninth title.
Willie Miller likewise had a big night. The two-time MVP scored 10 of Ginebra’s first 12 points in the fourth quarter, parrying Smart-Gilas’ last stand when it grabbed back the lead at 71-69 but failed to sustain it after the Kings stormed to an 80-71 bulge that was never threatened again.
Talk ‘N Text and Ginebra only met in a championship once. That was in the 2005 Fiesta Conference when the Tropang Texters were still mentored by Joel Banal and the Kings by Siot Tanquingcen. Ginebra won that duel in six games.
“I think they’re (Texters) strong,” said Uichico of the Texters, who were able to advance into the championships via a three-game sweep of the Air21 Express in the semi-finals. There’s no time to relax.” Ginebra conquered the Nationals despite drawing the poorest performance from Nate Brumfield, who only had nine points on 3-of-10 shooting from the floor. And the Kings managed to win the game even though the guest team appeared headed for a blowout early in the third.
Ahead 45-36 at the half, the Nationals widened their lead to 51-36.
Ginebra called for time, and the Kings returned onto the floor a different breed.
Unloading one of the rarest blasts, Ginebra unleashed a 19-0 run (55-51) before JV Casio ended Smart-Gilas’ silence. But the Kings retaliated with six straight points to make it a 61-53 ball game with 3:39 left to play in the third period where Ginebra settled for a 68-65 advantage. Tubid had 11 points in the third quarter.
Good thing for the Kings Tubid was in form.
The former University of the East star, who shot 1-of-10 from the field in the previous game, shot 6-of-13 from the floor this time.
The last time the Kings were in a championship was in the 2009 Fiesta Conference. Ginebra, however, lost that series to sister-team San Miguel Beer in seven games. Ginebra won its last title in the 2007-08 Fiesta Conference with Chris Alexander as import.
Marcus Douthit, again riddled with fouls, had 25 points and 17 rebounds for the Nationals, whose next stop in its itinerary is the Champions’ Cup the country is hosting late May.
Douthit scored six points in an 11-2 assault in the opening quarter to erase a 16-15 deficit and take a 26-18 lead. The Nationals never gave up the advantage to the Kings for the first half since then, coming through with fight-backs every time Ginebra came to within 35-33 and 38-36.
Smart-Gilas held a 45-36 lead at the half after closing it with a 7-0 blast capped by a triple from Lassiter. The Nationals also shot bpening two quarters, converting 18-of-39 from the field (46.2 percent) while holding the Kings to a horrible 34.1 percent clip from the floor (14-of-41).
Douthit already scattered 16 points in the first half alone.
