Never Say Die lived on Thursday night
With their 2017 Commissioner’s Cup playoff run nearly in shambles, the Gin Kings played with sense of urgency and romped TNT Katropa, 125-101, in Game Three of their semifinal series, Thursday night at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.
“It helps a lot when you make shots. When we can make shots, our offense becomes different,” said Barangay Ginebra San Miguel head coach Tim Cone on the win, as his side shot a notable 54 percent from the floor.
Justin Brownlee captained the Barangay with 31 markers on 58 percent shooting, alongside 11 rebounds, three steals, and four blocks. Scottie Thompson supplied 17 markers spiked by three triples, to go with five boards and four dimes.
A stunning 19-0 scoring spree ended by Sol Mercado’s pull-up triple in the second period sent the Barangay to their first 20-point lead, 53-33, with 5:51 on the clock — a lead they never relinquished as they coasted to the series-saving win.
The Gin Kings’ lead even ballooned to as much as 32, 125-93, after a Paolo Taha bucket with just 1:37 left to play.
But despite the result, Cone iterated that Ginebra are still down by a game in the bout, far from their main objective of sending the series to a rubber match that is set on Monday, June 19, if ever the odds favor their side.
“We still haven’t done anything. We’re basically in the same boat with Star. Our goal now is to get this into Game Five,” said Cone. “Let the chips fall where they may. At least we got one. Let’s see of we can carry it over to Game Four.”
Japeth Aguilar had 15 points for Ginebra, while Mercado and Joe Devance had 12 and 10 markers, respectively.
The Katropa, who shot 45 percent from the floor in the loss, were led by RR Garcia with 16 markers highlighted by four triples. Mo Tautuaa produced 15 points in 17 shots, while Harvey Carey chipped in 11 markers.
Import Joshua Smith only played 9:28 minutes in the defeat, producing just four points and seven caroms. He was subbed off the floor with 6:54 remaining in the second quarter after experiencing discomfort in his right toe.
The Barangay moved the ball excellently as they dished out 34 assists. They also ran the floor better, earning 19 points off the break. Ginebra’s defense, meanwhile, forced the Katropa to 17 turnovers and turned it to 22 points.
The Barangay will now look to even the series at two games apiece in Game Four on Saturday, June 17, 5:00 PM at the Cuneta Astrodome.
The Scores:
Ginebra (125) – Brownlee 31, Thompson 17, Aguilar 15, Mercado 12, Devance 10, Ellis 9, Cruz 9, Tenorio 8, Ferrer 5, Mariano 5, Taha 2, Jamito 2, Helterbrand 0, Caguioa 0.
TNT (101) – Garcia 16, Tautuaa 15, Carey 11, Reyes 9, Rosario 8, Castro 7, Rosales 7, Hernandez 6, Nuyles 6, Smith 4, Pogoy 4, Semerad 3, De Ocampo 3, Golla 0, Tamsi 0.
Quarterscores: 34-28, 61-47, 96-74, 125-101.
