MANILA, 5 June 2006 — A banner crowd, a classic game.
And it wasn’t even for a championship.
Barangay Ginebra was again at its comebacking-best last night, nailing down the last quarterfinal seat after carving out a 118-114 overtime victory over Air21 that closed out the PBA Philippine Cup’s wildcard phase in front of 11,289 screaming souls at the Araneta Coliseum.
Sta. Lucia, meanwhile, closed out its season with a 113-101 victory over Talk ‘N Text in the first game. Kenneth Duremdes and Dennis Espino each scored 17 points for the Realtors, who finished in the bottom of the standings despite their fifth win in 19 games.
Mark Caguioa strode off the floor because of fouls with 20.1 seconds left in overtime, but not after helping the Gin Kings back from 15 points down in the first half and dropping 45 total points to lead Ginebra into the first round of the playoffs. The 5-foot-10 sparkplug did all that was needed — and more — as the walking wounded Kings defeated the Express for the first time in the tournament and earned the right to face Red Bull in a best-of-five series starting Wednesday. Ginebra came into the game an obvious wreck as far as manpower was concerned — with even the Kings’ coach, Siot Tanquingcen, having his right hand in a cast.
Jay-Jay Helterbrand sat it out because of a severe back strain in the last game, making for a total of four key faces out because of injuries.
But Caguioa was more than up to the task.
Caguioa scored 16 points in the third period, another 11 in the fourth and his seven extra period points did the most damage on the game Express side in what could go down as the best game played so far in the tournament.
The Kings dropped a 13-2 bomb in the crucial time late in the fourth period, finally regaining the lead for the first time since 2-0 in the first after a Mark Macapagal triple and a Caguioa layup in an 18-second span made it 98-97. The lead changed hands five times after that, with Ranidel de Ocampo shoving the Express in front, 104-102, with back-to-back triples coming in exactly 14 seconds that sandwiched a Macapagal layup on the other end.
But the Kings, a team that has never given up, forged an extension after two Eric Menk free throws with 2.7 seconds left off Yancy De Ocampo’s final foul made it 104-all.
And after Ginebra opened up overtime with five straight points coming from a Caguioa floated and an Allan Salangsang triple for 109-104, the Express mounted another rally that tied the game up for the last time at 111.
Nino Canaleta buried a keyhole jumper for that tie, before Caguioa nailed a trey with Wynne Arboleda all over his face and Menk tipped in a Caguioa miss for 116-111 heading into the final 30 seconds. Caguioa’s 45 points not only represented his new career high, but they were the highest by any local since Asi Taulava’s 51 points in the Fiesta Conference in 2004. It was a particularly bitter pill to swallow for the Express. After all, they flaunted complete control in the match and seemed headed to a place no one but themselves thought they could go to after dealing away Ren-Ren Ritualo in a lopsided trade to Talk ‘N Text more than a month back.
Canaleta led the Express with 25 points, but was effectively shackled in overtime. Arboleda finished with 24 built around five conversions from beyond the arc, while Ranidel de Ocampo chipped in with 22.
