Breaking out of their slump, Brgy. Ginebra showcased a Gin Kings of old as a fast-paced tempo powered them to a 95-82 win over the still winless San Miguel squad in a Sunday showdown held at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Beermen’s three-pointers were not falling in the first quarter but they were able to climb and take a 21-20 lead thanks to their good ball movement and inside baskets. Ginebra countered with a 7-0 personal run from their reinforcement Michael Dunigan including an old-fashioned three-point play to give Ginebra a six-point lead at the end of 12 minutes, 27-21.
The transition type of game continued for the Kings as Joseph Yeo drilled in two quick layups to give Ginebra a 13-point lead. The much-awaited inside battle between the two big men, June Mar Fajardo and Greg Slaughter was also showcased in the second period. San Miguel import Ronald Roberts joined the paint battle as he posterized Dunigan at the 5:15 mark of the second period with a standing slam plus a foul.
The first half fast-paced tempo was cemented by a Chris Ellis thunderous one-handed jam over Bitoy Omolon. Ginebra led by seven at halftime, 48-41, as they outscored the Beermen 28-14 inside the paint and cruised on an 8-0 gap in the fast break category.
The press worked for Ginebra in the fourth quarter as they forced San Miguel to early turnovers in the payoff period. Despite a rally put up by the Beermen, the backcourt tandem of Mark Caguioa and Yeo proved to be too fast for the San Miguel defense. Yeo made an and-one play off a goaltend plus Caguioa added a big floater to restore an 82-71 lead.
Off a timeout, San Miguel scored on two straight baskets to regain their pace against Ginebra, who got the crowd going with their intensity. Despite Roberts rejecting successive baskets inside, LA Tenorio banked in a short jumper to give Ginebra a 14-point lead at 91-77 with a little over three minutes to play. With San Miguel’s inability to find the mark offensively, Ginebra’s lead continued to swell en route to their impressive first win of the conference.
Despite being down in terms of blocks, 1-11, Ginebra committed less turnovers, 14-18. They also shot at a 47% clip compared to the Beermen’s 36%. In addition, the Kings scored a whopping 54 points in the paint, outplaying San Miguel’s interior defense.
Dunigan led Ginebra with 29 points and 13 rebounds, and he also shot 15 out of 22 from the free throw line. His counterpart Roberts tallied 32 points, grabbed 15 boards and rejected five shots.
The scores:
Brgy. Ginebra(95) – Dunigan 27, Slaughter 18, Caguioa 17, Yeo 11, Tenorio 8, Mamaril 6, Baracael 2, Aguilar 2, Ellis 2, Pena 0, Urbiztondo 0, Helterbrand 0
San Miguel(82) – Roberts 32, Lutz 12, Lassiter 10, Fajardo 9, Cabagnot 8, Santos 6, Tubid 5, Pascual 0, Ross 0, Kramer 0, Reyes 0, Omolon 0, Fortuna 0,
Quarters: 27-21, 48-41, 72-66, 95-82
