MANILA, 15 February 2007 — From goat to hero.
Rafi Reavis atoned for a late game blunder last week with a superb performance last night, helping Barangay Ginebra wallop San Miguel, 131-101, that put the Gin Kings back in the PBA Philippine Cup title fight.
The 6-foot-7 beanpole hit 13 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a splendid third quarter work as the Kings broke free from a tight first half to win with plenty to spare and chop what was an imposing series deficit to 1-2. “He (Reavis) redeemed himself tonight,” Ginebra coach Jong Uichico later said of his starting center, who finished with a total of 15 rebounds, nine of them off the offensive glass.
Reavis’ performance last night was a far cry from that of Game 2, when he missed two crucial charities with 23 seconds left which would have tied the game, before taking an ill-advised three-pointer in Ginebra’s last play with plenty of time on the clock.
The Kings lost that one, 101-104, and fell behind 0-2.
Game 4 is scheduled tomorrow at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, and Uichico believes that the way his team played last night gave them the edge coming into that game — and the rest of the series as well.
San Miguel, which is looking to win a league-best 18th overall title, actually had control early and was threatening to break away by posting leads of as many as 10 points twice in the first half.
But Rudy Hatfield, Ja-Jay Helterbrand and Mark Caguioa banded in a searing third quarter charge that had the Kings taking the half, 56-55, before Reavis took over in the third quarter.
Ginebra went on to score a conference-best 43 points in the first period, which turned that one-point halftime lead to a 99-81 advantage heading into the final quarter.
The Kings’ total output was also a conference-high, and it showed everyone that Ginebra can win in a shootout with such a talented team like San Miguel, which Uichico acknowledged to be loaded in all fronts.
Incidentally, the loss was the worst for the team in close to nine years.
Helterbrand, who is leading everyone in assists in the tournament with an 8.7 a game average, had his best showing in the series, finishing with 14 points and a night-high 12 assists, even as Eric Menk became the sixth King in twin digits with 12 in 27 on the floor. It was the first real game action that Menk saw after sitting out the entire semifinal series with Talk ‘N Text and the first game of the title series, where Ginebra got bamboozled, 118-94. Ronald Tubid also sparkled with 19 points, the second consecutive game that he contributed well offensively.
Danny Seigle led the Beermen with 26 points, but only six came in the final two periods when Ginerba tightened the noose and tried to get in his head a number of times.
