San Mig Coffee banked on a strong first half to dominate Barangay Ginebra and complete a 110-87 Game 7 win in the semifinals of the PBA Philippine Cup on Wednesday.
James Yap scored 24 of his 30 points in the first 2 quarters as the Mixers outpaced and outhustled the Gin Kings in front of a record 24,883 spectators at the Big Dome.
The victory enabled San Mig Coffee to arrange a titular match-up with early finalist Rain or Shine.
“Do-or-die, so kailangan talaga pag lumaro ka parang wala nang bukas,” said Yap in a post-game interview.
The two-time MVP, who was hampered by injuries in the eliminations, was a major factor in the semis.
It was his go ahead-jumper that saved the Mixers from the Gin Kings in Game 5. In Game 7, he rained successive triples in a 70% field-goal-shooting performance.
“Lagi kong inisiip kapag do-or-die ilabas mo na lahat ng nalalaman mo sa basketball mula nung bata ka,” said Yap, who also grabbed 6 rebounds. “Kailangan mong iprove ang sarili mo, na ‘hey, nandito pa rin kami.’”
Yap also got plenty of help from his teammates, particularly PJ Simon and Rafi Reavis.
Reavis did the most damage in the first quarter where he scored 12 of his 15 points. In the fourth quarter, it was Simon’s turn to terrorize Ginebra’s defenders for a total of 28 points.
San Mig Coffee raced to a 26-15 lead in the first quarter, until Jayjay Helterbrand stepped up to help Ginebra to slice the lead, 20-28.
Mark Caguioa started doing damage in the second canto when he partnered with Helterbrand in a run-and-gun game. “The Spark’s” jumper knotted the scores, 32-all, 8:30 minutes left in that period.
But the Gin Kings found themselves in serious trouble when Yap started nailing his triples. “Big Game James” pushed San Mig to a commanding 57-44 half time lead.
LA Tenorio and Billy Mamaril tried to rally Ginebra in the third. San Mig Coffee, however, held on to a 79-67 advantage going into the final quarter.
The Kings tried to get back in the fourth, but could not get nearer than 12. They appeared to have surrendered the fight when Mixers stretched the lead to 21 points before the final 2 minutes.
Mark Caguioa topscored for Ginebra with 23 points. His teammates, however, failed to provide additional scoring boost.
Tenorio had 16, while Chris Ellis was held to just 4.
Box scores:
San Mig Coffee 110 - Yap 30, Simon 28, Sangalang 15, Reavis 15, Pingris 8, Barroca 6, Mallari 6, Devance 2, Melton 0.
Ginebra 87 - Caguioa 23, Aguilar 17, Tenorio 16, Slaughter 12, Mamaril 6, Helterbrand 5, Ellis 4, Baracael 3, Reyes 1, Monfort 0, Urbiztondo 0.
Quarterscores: 28-20, 57-44, 79-67, 110-87
Source: abs-cbnnews.com
San Mig Coffee and Barangay will battle for all the marbles when they meet in Game 7 at the Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday.
No, they're not even fighting for the title, but their emotional match-up during their best-of-7 semifinal match-up seems worth a championship crown.
“It’s been a great series, a tough series with a lot of drama, and it seems only fitting that it should go to a Game Seven,” San Mig Coffee coach Tim Cone said on the PBA website after seeing his boys engage Barangay Ginebra in a see-saw battle.
The Mixers claimed Games 1, 3, and 5, while the Gin Kings equalized in Games 2, 4 and 6. Almost all of their games ended via down-the-wire finishes.
But the momentum is at Ginebra’s side after its thrilling 94-91 win in Game 6.
“No doubt, Game 6 was a tough one for us to swallow. We felt we had it and then it was ripped away from us. Credit to Ginebra,” said Cone.
Although Barangay Ginebra expects San Mig to go all out in Game 7, coach Ato Agustin sees no need to make adjustments.
“Nakuha namin ang right formula the last time out. Walang pagbabago sa Game 7, pipilitin namin uling gawin ang mga tama naming ginawa sa Game 6,” he said.
The winner in Game 7 will face early finalist Rain or Shine in the finals.
Cone, however, said that winning Game 7 is just like winning the title itself.
“This is what we play for. As my daughter always reminds me, the best two words in sports: Game 7,” Cone said.
Agustin said the victory is for the Gin Kings to take.
“Nabigyan kami ng pagkakataon, sayang naman kung hindi namin kuhanin,” he said.
Source: abs-cbnnews.com
Barangay Ginebra completed another down-the-wire finish against San Mig Coffee as it carved out a 94-91 win to force a series-deciding Game 7 in the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals.
Down 41-50 in the first half, the Gin Kings needed inspiration from former Ginebra coach Robert Jaworski to mount a huge fightback in the next two quarters.
Greg Slaughter unloaded 20 points, including a miracle jumper that kept Ginebra in finals contention.
The Kings were staring at a 3-point deficit when Slaughter completed a tough shot to pull Ginebra closer, 90-91, with barely a minute remaining.
A costly foul by James Yap allowed Mark Caguioa to push Ginebra ahead via free throws, 92-90.
Slaughter sank two more free throws and completed the job for a Game 6 win.
The victory enabled Ginebra to tie the best of 7 series, 3-all, keeping the hopes alive for a possible title encounter with early finalist Rain or Shine.
It also ruined the efforts of Marc Pingris and PJ Simon who were doing heavy damage against the Kings midway the fourth quarter.
Pingris, who finished with 20 points, looked unstoppable when he ignited a 6-2 run against Ginebra.
Simon also scored 5 straight points to push San Mig ahead, 91-88, with 1:24 minutes remaining.
It was at this point when Slaughter took over for Ginebra.
Caguioa finished the game with 21 points. LA Tenorio also made up for his miscue in Game 5 by scoring 16.
Box scores:
Ginebra 94 - Caguioa 21, Slaughter 20, Tenorio 16, Aguilar 13, Baracael 9, Helterbrand 5, Ellis 4, Reyes 4, Mamaril 2, Monfort 0, Urbiztondo 0.
San Mig Coffee 91 - Pingris 20, Simon 17, Barroca 14, Sangalang 12, Reavis 9, Yap 9, Melton 5, Devance 3, Mallari 2, De Ocampo 0.
Quarterscores: 22-24, 41-50, 73-74, 94-91
Source: abs-cbnnews.com
He ain't "Big Game James" for nothing.
With 13.4 seconds to go, James Yap buried the dagger triple that lifted San Mig Coffee past Barangay Ginebra, 79-76, in Game 5 of their PBA Philippine Cup semifinals series on Saturday.
The Gin Kings were up by a thread, 76-75, following Chris Ellis’ jumper when Mark Barroca made a quick pass to Yap.
Yap immediately went for the go ahead looper and connected the triple, beating Mac Baracael’s defense in front of more than 20,000 screaming fans at the Big Dome.
LA Tenorio tried to salvage the game for the Kings but the Mixers were quick on their feet and forced him to miss his layup.
San Mig’s Justin Melton split his free throws on the other end to peg the final scores at 79-76.
It was a nip and tuck affair for both squads in the first three quarters. San Mig Coffee then started to pull away when Barroca and Melton teamed up for a potent 9-0 run that had Ginebra trailing 57-66.
Japeth Aguilar later rallied the Gin Kings to bring Ginebra within one point. Yap responded with an easy layup, but Chris Ellis fired a triple that knotted the scores 72-all.
The scores remained tied 74-all with 52 ticks to go, when Marc Pingris split his charities to give the Mixers a 75-74 breather.
Ellis jumper pushed the Kings ahead, 76-75, before Yap nailed his game winner.
Yap finished the game with 10 points, while Barroca top scored the Mixers with 14 points, four assists and three steals.
Air Force Ellis had 20 for Ginebra, while JayR Reyes added 11.
The victory gave San Mig Coffee a 3-2 series lead against Barangay Ginebra in their best-of-seven showdown. The Mixers now only need one win to set up a title clash with Rain or Shine.
Rain or Shine defeated Petron on Friday to seal their semis series, 4-1, and clinch the first finals berth.
Box scores:
San Mig Coffee 79 – Barroca 14, Pingris 12, Simon 10, Reavis 10, Yap 10, Mallari 8, Devance 7, Sangalang 6, Melton 2.
Ginebra 76 – Ellis 20, Reyes 11, Aguilar 9, Slaughter 9, Tenorio 9, Caguioa 6, Baracael 5, Helterbrand 5, Mamaril 2, Monfort 0, Urbiztondo 0.
Quarterscores: 21-21, 46-44, 62-57, 79-76
Source: abs-cbnnews.com
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel evened their PLDT MyDSL 2014 PBA Philippine Cup semifinals series against the San Mig Super Coffee Mixers with an 85-82 win that went down the wire, on Wednesday, at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum. Mac Baracael scored 20 points in 20 minutes after shooting 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. LA Tenorio came up with 16 points, while 2013 top pick Greg Slaughter notched 11 points and 12 rebounds. The back-and-forth Manila Clasico series will last at least two more games with both sides knotted up at two wins apiece. San Mig Coffee feasted on Ginebra turnovers early in the fourth quarter, triggering a 20-2 rally to get up by four, 76-72. With time winding down, lucky plays swung the game in Ginebra's favor, forcing the Mixers to lean on a James Yap triple with 5.4 seconds left in the hopes of an overtime period. The shot missed, and Ginebra avoided falling into a 3-1 hole. "When they started pressuring us medyo maraming mistakes. But still the breaks were on our side, that's why we won the game," said Ginebra coach Ato Agustin. "We did a good job on our defense, we were able to control the tempo," he added. "Nag-stick parin sila sa gameplan namin." Ginebra prides itself as an up-and-down team, but on paper that wasn't the case. The Mixers led 26-18 in turnover points and 13-8 in fast break points. Though they were up 45-40 in rebounding, Ginebra scored only three more second-chance points than San Mig Coffee, 16-13. The Mixers used a 15-5 run in the first quarter, getting transition baskets from Joe Devance and hustle plays from Rafi Reavis, to lead 16-9 with four minutes to play. Ginebra finally broke through San Mig Coffee's defense though as Mac Baracael hit a triple with 3:24 to play. The bucket sparked a 12-4 counter for the Barangay, as JJ Helterbrand's turnover layup with five seconds left edged them ahead after the first frame, 21-20. In the second quarter, San Mig Coffee fielded a three-guard lineup that profited from creating turnovers against Ginebra. Alex Mallari hit back-to-back triples to kick off a rally, then consecutive transition hoops by Mark Barroca gave them a 34-28 advantage. However Ginebra eventually took control as they eased their starters back on the floor, and set a course straight for the hoop. The Barangay scored their last 18 points from the line or in the paint, and got a combined 12 markers from LA Tenorio and Greg Slaughter. The Mixers hung around by converting tough shots, including a long turnaround jumper from Devance as the half expired while his team trailed, 46-43. San Mig Coffee was on the losing end of a 13-6 fouls margin at halftime. Marc Pingris and James Yap had three personal fouls each for the Mixers, while Japeth Aguilar had two, and was the only Ginebra player with more than one. Ginebra ripped open a double-digit lead to start the second half. While they scored inside at will, Mac Baracael drained three triples to augment a 65-50 lead. Consecutive baskets from Yap and Pingris stopped the bleeding with three minutes to play, but the Mixers couldn't put together a run as Ginebra led 70-56 after three quarters. San Mig Coffee dug deep on defense in the fourth and forced Ginebra into several turnovers in a row. Yap and Justin Melton made Ginebra pay for their errors, combining for 13 in a 20-2 onslaught during the first six minutes, to seize a 76-72 lead. Ginebra lucked out when Emman Monfort banked in a triple, while Baracael drew an and-one in the post to bolster an 8-2 run. San Mig Coffee was equally unlucky as Devance fumbled two straight layups, and fell behind 80-79 after split charities from Yap. With 1:18 left, Aguilar cleaned up a Tenorio layup to put Ginebra up by three, forcing the Mixers to call timeout. Baracael though stole the ball, and called timeout before falling out of bounds. Tenorio then drew a pushing foul on the other end, and came away with a split, 83-79. Barroca tried to cut into the lead with a three-pointer but drew no iron, returning the ball to Ginebra with 47 seconds remaining. Ginebra milked the clock before Monfort missed a trey, while on the other end, Devance showed the second-year point guard how it was done, to make it a one-point game, 83-82. The Mixers took a while to foul before sending Tenorio to the line with 5.4 left, where he calmly sank two charities, 85-82. San Mig Coffee called their last timeout to set up Yap for a three, but his attempt went halfway in before curling out, preserving the win for Ginebra. Ginebra shot 32-of-74 (43.2 percent) from the field, while San Mig Coffee was 33-of-75 (44 percent). James Yap led his team with 20 points and five rebounds. Joe Devance added 13 points, while Mark Barroca had 10 points, five rebounds and seven assists. - AMD, GMA News The scores: Ginebra 85 - Baracael 20, Tenorio 16, Slaughter 11, Ellis 9, Aguilar 7, Caguioa 7, Helterbrand 5, Monfort 5, Reyes 3, Mamaril 2 San Mig Coffee 82 - Yap 20, Devance 13, Barroca 10, Melton 9, Pingris 7, Sangalang 7, Mallari 6, Simon 5, Reavis 5, De Ocampo 0 Quarter scoring: 21-20, 46-43, 70-56, 85-82 Source: gmanews.tv
Source: ABS-CBN News
-- After playing catch-up in the first quarter, B-Meg Derby Ace steamrolled Barangay Ginebra in the next three periods to clinch the first ticket to the PBA Commissioner’s Cup finals on Tuesday.
Denzel Bowles helped the Llamados conclude the semis series with a 108-84 drubbing of the Gin Kings in Game 4 of their best-of-5 showdown.
As her mother watched in the audience, Bowles exploded with 34 points on 13-of-18 shooting from the field.
“It was enjoying for her to come out here and I was able to get her to some here and watch me play live. There's nothing better than watching your son play live,” said the B-Meg import, who also collected a total of 14 rebounds.
Llamados coach Tim Cone is thankful that his team made some adjustments after struggling in the first quarter.
B-Meg was 7 points down in that period, 31-24.
“I made a bad decision in the beginning of the game to go to zone. We thought we catch them by surprise then they came out and hit all those shots. I was kind of embarrassed because that's our big game plan and it fell on our faces,” said Cone.
“Good thing we have a good group of guys and they came back, later in the game,” he added.
It will be Cone’s 24th appearance in a PBA finals and his first under B-Meg.
The multi-titled coach said the game went to their favor when they began picking up their pace.
“We tried to up tempo the game little bit today, get the ball up quickly, move it up the floor faster pressure, so they couldn't pressure us much, I think that was the key,” said Cone.
“Then Denzel really came up and played a monster game, what can I say? He played a monster effort game.”
The Llamados started establishing their dominance in the second and third quarter, where they led as much as 15 points.
By the time they entered the fourth, the Gin Kings virtually surrendered the game.
Their top scorer in the game, Dylan Ababou, fouled out with over 11 minutes left.
Before being sent to the bench, Ababou scored 17 points.
Ginebra import Jackson Vroman followed later, fouling out with 5:56 left.
Vroman scored 14 points. Mike Cortez and Niño Canaleta added 13 and 12, respectively for the Gin Kings.
Joe Devance and James Yap were more generous in their contributions to B-Meg.
Devance had 18 points, while Yap finished with 16.
B-Meg will face the winner of the semifinals between reigning champion Talk N’ Text and giant slayer Barako Bull.
The Texters and the Energy are in a 2-2 deadlock in their own best-of-5.
Talk N’ Text and Barako Bull will settle their score in Game 5 on Wednesday.
Box scores:
B-Meg 108 - Bowles 34, Devance 18, Yap 16, Simon 11, Pingris 7, Barroca 5, Intal 5, Villanueva 5, De Ocampo 4, Reavis 2, Urbiztondo 1, Acuna 0, Gaco 0.
Ginebra 84 - Ababou 17, Vroman 14, Cortez 13, Canaleta 12, Helterbrand 10, Hatfield 8, Raymundo 5, Labagala 3, Mamaril 2, Wilson 0, Villanueva 0.
Quarters: 24-31, 58-46, 86-71, 108-84
Source: The Philippine Star
-- Barangay Ginebra refused to surrender, reliving its never-say-die spirit as it thwarted B-Meg, 88-79, to force a fourth game in their PBA Commissioner’s Cup best-of-five semifinal showdown at the Cuneta Astrodome tonight.
Mike Cortez and KG Canaleta stepped up big time and proved to be the Kings’ biggest saviors as they ducked the Llamados’ knockout blow, thus, staying in the fight for the finals.
The Kings try to stretch the series to full distance as they go for a follow-up win in Game Four at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Tuesday.
Cortez came through with a rare triple-double performance with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists while Canaleta got away with 4-of-8 three-point shooting and a total of 23 points as the Kings lived to fight another game.
“I can’t ask anything more from the guys. They know our situation that we have to cover for the 18 points we usually get from Mark Caguioa. Everybody’s pitching in and that has to be the way,” said Ginebra coach Siot Tanquingcen.
Dylan Ababou and Jayjay Helterbrand also produced double-digit outputs as Ginebra finally pulled one in the series with injured main man Caguioa helpless on the bench.
“For sure, we played better tonight than the first two games. The sense of urgency was there. It’s no longer about the X's and O's of the game. It boiled down to heart,” said Tanquingcen.
Ginebra triumphed even as Jackson Vroman limited to eight points and 10 rebounds.
B-Meg import Denzel Bowles, however, also groped for form and the early ejection of Marc Pingris didn’t help the Llamados’ cause.
Pingris was thrown out of the game in the second quarter on two technical infractions he committed 36 seconds apart.
The 6-foot-4 B-Meg forward and Kerby Raymundo were earlier called a double T. Pingris later got the boot on a flagrant foul on a driving Canaleta.
Hardly shaken, Canaleta led all scorers in the contest with a 7-of-15 field shooting and 5-of-6 free throws.
The high-leaping Ginebra forward waxed hottest in the fourth quarter, knocking four treys in a decisive romp that gave the Kings an 83-74 lead entering the last two minutes of the game.
B-Meg hit strides playing all-Filipino in the closing minutes of the second quarter, erasing a 10-point deficit, 29-19, and drawing even at 37 at the half.
James Yap banged away two three-pointers while PJ Simon converted two baskets on tough drives in the key run forging the first deadlock in the contest.
Ginebra, however, returned with a renewed energy in the third quarter, regaining double-digit spreads at 53-43 and 57-47.
The Kings seized the early initiative, opening with a 15-7 binge and leading by as many as 11, 23-12, with Canaleta and Raymundo combining for the first six points in the second period.
The two imports were non-factors with Vroman stuggling with a 2-of-7 shooting as against Bowles’ 0-of-6 clip in the first two quarters.
Source: The Philippine Star
-- B-Meg wore down Barangay Ginebra in a gut-wrenching battle, and PJ Simon delivered all the firepower the Llamados needed at the finish to pull off a difficult 83-77 win to move in the threshold of a first PBA finals in three years at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last night.
Simon poured eight of his 15 points in the last two minutes and the Llamados squeezed through from the tight duel, gaining a commanding 2-0 lead in their Commissioner’s Cup best-of-five semifinal showdown.
B-Meg now has three shots at nailing down a ninth final in import-laden tourneys and 22nd in all in franchise history.
“It takes a special effort to go 2-0 against a team like Ginebra. You need calmness, living through mistakes, living through bad calls and moving forward. We’re able to do that,” said multi-titled coach Tim Cone, now on the verge of a first final outside of Alaska Milk.
“Do I think it’s over? You know better,” Cone added. “We put out a special effort tonight. We need special effort times two to make it 3-0.”
True enough, the Llamados dished out a huge job to survive a whale of a fight put up by the beleaguered Ginebra team.
Denzel Bowles came through with game highs of 21 points and 15 rebounds and drew all the help he needed from his local teammates as B-Meg repeated its 82-67 win in Game One.
The count was tied at 75-all before the Llamados cashed in on crucial errors by a Ginebra team obviously reeling from fatigue.
There was Jackson Vroman who had to fight off cramps.
Niño Canaleta was bigger than life coming off the bench but he himself lost steam at endgame.
The Kings scored only two points in the last three minutes, running into a maze of errors and missed shots.
Simon parlayed into a breakaway layup a turnover by Mike Cortez to break the 75-all deadlock. Then after Canaleta misfired a three-pointer, Simon canned two charities as the Llamados put more pressure on the Kings.
Vroman and his teammates failed to recover, thus, moving on the brink of elimination.
Jayjay Helterbrand got away with a reversed four-point play in the last four seconds as Ginebra took the half at 41-37.
The two teams engaged in a defensive battle in the first half, limiting one another to 27 points each through the first 17 minutes.
The Kings picked up their offense towards the end of the first half through second-string forwards Canaleta and Rudy Hatfield.
Bowles, meanwhile, carried the cudgels for the Llamados piling up 12 points, nine rebounds, two assists and two blocks in the first two quarters as against Vroman’s six markers and six boards.
Canaleta came off the bench with his guns ablaze, firing away three treys and a total of 11 points in the second period.
Source: Nelson Beltran, Philippine Star
MANILA, Philippines - Quarterfinals top seed Barangay Ginebra simply re-asserted its mastery over Rain or Shine, fashioning out a 100-91 win to move in the threshold of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Final Four at the Araneta Coliseum last night.
With a steady shooting and a good defense on Hassan Adams, the Kings foiled the Elasto Painters anew, making it 4-0 in their head-to-head duels in the season and 8-1 dating back to the 2009-2010 campaign.
Nate Brumfield, Mark Caguioa and Ronald Tubid poured in at least 18 points each as Ginebra repeated its 95-90 conquest of RoS in the elimination round and, thus, moved a win shy of a best-of-five semifinal showdown with Smart Gilas.
Limiting Adams to a personal tournament-low of 12 points was also a key factor as the Kings pressed their bid in the short best-of-three series.
“We tried to limit him the best way we can. Nothing technical; just best effort, and it helped that he had a bad night,” said Ginebra coach Jong Uichico.
“Ronald Tubid shooting well made the game easier for us. We got the first win but it’s just one win. Game Two is like the start of the series because Rain or Shine didn’t have enough time to prepare for tonight’s game,” Uichico also said.
Well rested, the Kings made good use of this advantage, stepping on the gas early before standing their ground on the Elasto Painters’ repeated comeback bids.
Behind a 16-4 closing run, Ginebra took the half at 50-34.
The Kings then sustained the momentum in their return from the halftime huddle, ripping the game wide open at 58-38 on an 8-4 opening tear in the third quarter capped by a Mike Cortez triple.
Ginebra took control early as the Kings dominated the boards, 29-22, and hit 46.5 percent of their shots compared to the Elasto Painters’ 35.7-percent shooting in the opening half.
The Kings converted 50 percent of their three-point tries with Tubid accounting for four of the team’s six conversions.
Tubid ended up with 18 points with 12 fueling their second-quarter breakaway.
Brumfield led all scorers with 24 points that went with five rebounds, four assists and one steal against one error in 37 minutes of play.
Mark Caguioa had significant contribution on an off-the-bench role, piling up 20 points, seven rebounds and two assists.
With Adams shackled down by the Ginebra defense, Larry Rodriguez and Gabe Norwood tried to carry the fight for the Elasto Painters, combining for 38 points.
LA Tenorio went 3-of-3 from the three-point area in the last two minutes and Sonny Thoss made the winning tip-in with four-tenths of a second left as Alaska Milk nipped Air21, 91-89, in Game One of their own best-of-three quarters showdown.
“Obviously, it’s not over till it’s over, but I would rather be 1-0 up than 0-1 down,” said Alaska coach Tim Cone.
Source: GMA News
Marcus Douthit capped his return to active roster with a 30-point, 17-rebound effort and powering Smart Gilas past Barangay Ginebra, 111-104, to clinch the first outright semifinals seat in the PBA Commissioner's Cup Wednesday night at the Araneta Coliseum.
Missed the last time after suffering a sprained left ankle in the Nationals' 90-98 defeat to Derby Ace, Douthit readily made his presence felt behind those huge numbers and was responsible for two key plays down the stretch that decided the outcome of the match Smart Gilas led from start to finish.
The 6-foot-11 center completed a three-point play off a follow-up miss by Japeth Aguilar from three-point land, extending a six-point lead to 89-80.
Then, he made an emphatic follow-up slam off another three-point miss by Mac Baracael for a 103-95 Smart Gilas edge in the final 58 seconds.
"To be in the semi-finals is great for us. Probably nobody expected we can play at that level. We played a great game," said Nationals' coach Rajko Toroman. “I think we showed that this team has character in difficult moments. We plated an amazing defense in the first half and we were aggressive.
Marcio Lassiter backed up Douthit with 21 points on 3-of-4 shooting from three-point range, while JV Casio added 16 and Chris Lutz 15 as the three more than made up for the absence of team captain Chris Tiu, out with a left shoulder injury.
"For now, we want to improve more on our confidence going into the FIBA-Asia Championships (in September) and in the Champions’ Cup (in May)." Added Toroman.
Import Nate Brumfield, Willie Miller and Mark Caguioa finished with 21 points each, but not enough to save the day for Ginebra, which saw its four-game winning run came to an end.
The Kings fell to 5-3, but still have a good chance of making the playoffs.
Rookie Rob Labagala made his pro debut and finished with eight points for the Kings, who also got 10 points and 10 rebounds from Rudy Hatfield. Douthit was 12-of-20 from the field, 6-of-8 from the free-throw line and also had five assists and two block shots for the Nationals, who led by as many as 79-60 on a three-point play by Aguilar in the third period.
The Kings however, trimmed down the gap to 79-69 behind a 10-0 run just before the quarter ended.
They eventually cut the deficit to within five, but the Nationals always had a ready answer for them.
The Nationals fired 13 three-point shots out of 23 attempts, and waxed hot behind a 52.7 percent shooting from the field on 40 of 76 tries.
