MANILA: Jong Uichico knows that winning his season-opening game virtually means nothing.
Even if it was fashioned out in the way it was and even without his leading scorer.
Barangay Ginebra debuted in the Philippine Cup in style, scoring yet another come-from-behind win last night, an 89-86 triumph over defending champion Sta. Lucia at the Araneta Coliseum.
Without four key players, including Mark Caguioa, the Gin Kings got the goods from Jay-Jay Helterbrand and Paul Artadi as they bounced back from a lethargic start to finish with plenty of kick and get their campaign started on a bright note.
“It’s important to win the first game because it gives your confidence and morale a boost,” the multi-titled Uichico, who won the Fiesta Cup at the expense of Air21 two months ago, told reporters later.
“But we are not looking that far,” he added. “We just got the breaks in the end and we had the lead at the right time.”
Helterbrand finished with 26 points, all but five in the second half, while Artadi dropped a career-high 18 markers in a tremendous pinch-hit job for Caguioa, who could be out for at least another month because of knee problems.
Uichico also got good numbers from the men he signed up to take the spots of Rafi Reavis, Billy Mamaril and Junthy Valenzuela after Jun-Jun Cabatu, acquired from Alaska, finished with eight points and Mike Holper contributing six markers and seven rebounds.
Ryan Reyes, who won Rookie of the Year honors last season, paced the Realtors with 17 points, while Kelly Williams and skipper Dennis Espino scattered 16 points each.
Sta. Lucia was in command, at least after the second half started.
But the Kings, who came into the third 35-45 down, quickly drew within striking distance with less than three minutes gone in the third, as Helterbrand hit back-to-back triples and a layup that had Ginebra closing in at 48-49.
It was nip and tuck from there before the Kings, with Artadi and Salvacion joining the fray, grabbed an 80-74 lead heading into the final five minutes before holding off the Realtors the rest of the way.
In the aperitif, Purefoods needed a hero in the fourth quarter to turn back a spirited Red Bull crew, 77-73, to get off to a somewhat fine start despite the injury to top gunslinger James Yap.
Kerby Raymundo scored 11 of his 23 points in the fourth, outscoring the entire Barako side as the Tender Juicy Giants completed a rally from as many as 15 points down in the first half.
Still, it wasn’t a game that saw the full potential of the Giants, one of the title favorites here who trailed up until the 9:35 mark of the fourth period before their defense — or the lack of offense from Red Bull — pulled them through.
