MANILA, 22 February 2007 — This one was a lot closer, but Jong Uichico will take it just the same.
“It could have gone either way,” Uichico said last night, moments after his Barangay Ginebra crew hammered out a 94-82 victory over San Miguel for a 3-2 lead in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.
“Our game plan is just working,” Uichico added, when asked of the formula that has won for him the last three games of the best-of-seven series for the year’s most prestigious championship. “Our intensity has been there and that is what’s most important. But we know that we would have to work hard for it (championship-clinching win), because San Miguel will not give it to us.”
Mark Caguioa scored 28 points, doing most of the damage in the second half when the Kings established their will as Ginebra moved on the brink of closing out this series which started 2-0 in favor of San Miguel.
The victory was the third straight for Ginebra, which won the first two by a combined 65 points. This game teetered for most part, up until the time the Kings got it together late in the third period and for most of the fourth. Ginebra held the Beermen to harmless numbers in the fourth quarter and the Kings were never really in trouble until two late Lordy Tugade triples shoved San Miguel to within five points inside the final two minutes.
“We’re so close yet to far,” Uichico said. “It takes four games to win a series and we’re not there yet. There’s still one game to win and that could prove to be the hardest.”
Jay-Jay Helterbrand also sparkled, hitting 26 points while dishing out six assists in a game that dominated action in the backcourt and more or less told who the top point guard in the land is.
Danny Seigle, the series’ most bruised man, led the Beermen with 24 markers, but the Kings effectively shut out his backup crew with Dondon Hontiveros held to just 11 and Lordy Tugade just nine points.
Though Tugade hit those straight triples that shoved the Beermen within 79-84, Caguioa had the answer when he nailed a layup with 1:06 to go which put the game to bed and ignited a raucous celebration in the gallery. It was also Caguioa, named on Friday as the Best Player of the Conference, who gave the Kings their biggest lead, 69-55 late in the third period, a fitting performance that has so far been key in the series.
“Not at all,” Helterbrand told Arab News, when asked if the title is already in the bag. “San Miguel is such a tough team and they’re not out of it. Not by a longshot.
“Sure, we have momentum, having won the last three games,” the heady guard added. “Our confidence is up and their morale could be down. But they can use that as a motivating force and we have to be ready for Friday (tomorrow).”
Last night’s game was one of the lowest-scoring in the series, not really because of the defense, but because both teams didn’t shoot the ball the well. And it was quite ironic that Caguioa, who usually misses more shots than he makes, shot 50% from the field in leading the Kings.
Sunday Salvacion and Rudy Hatfield were the two others in twin digits for Uichico, shooting 12 and 10, respectively, with Hatfield grabbing 12 rebounds and feeding twice. Rookie point guard LA Tenorio tossed in a career-high 17 markers and Olsen Racela had 10. But they weren’t enough to bail the Beermen out.
