MANILA, 5 July 2004 — Just one-half of Red Bull Barako’s Cebu connection proved enough to give the team a 107-103 victory over Ginebra on Saturday that leveled their Gran Matador PBA Fiesta Conference championship series at the Araneta Coliseum.
The win avenged Red Bull’s 94-92 loss in the opener and evened up the best-of-five series at one game apiece with Game 3 set tomorrow.
Junthy Valenzuela picked up the slack when fellow Cebuano Jimwell Torion got thrown out midway in the third period on a flagrant foul, coming up with timely hits that kept the Barakos back from a 76-84 deficit and in the thick of the fight.
Torion was slapped with a flagrant foul and thrown out after hitting Ginebra import Torraye Braggs from behind with the scored tied at 65 and still 6:45 left in the period. The peppery Cebuano guard faces possible suspension.
With second-string guard Topex Robinson in foul-trouble situation, Guiao was forced to go to Junthy Valenzuela for playmaking, and the natural forward did a decent job. Valenzuela even made 10 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter although it was Victor Thomas who delivered the telling blows on the Kings.
Thomas scored seven straight points that had the Thunder surging ahead, 103-99, with 1:25 left to play. Two crucial errors by Mark Caguioa off the bench in the ensuing plays hastened Ginebra’s defeat.
Worse, Caguioa finished with just three points after, scoring a team-high 27 in game 1.
Guiao opted to start Torion, hoping that the spritely guard would jumpstart the team and avoid another slow start that stalled their bid in the series opener.
The ploy, which also had Mick Pennisi in the starting unit, worked for the Thunder as the Kings played the role of stalkers this time with Davon Harp taking the lead role on offense.
Harp more than doubled his four-point output in Game One as early as the first quarter with 10 while holding Braggs to four.
But the Kings managed to stay within sight as Eric Menk matched Harp’s production towards the end of the opening frame.
