MANILA: So who’s the real heavyweight now?
Barangay Ginebra brought down another fancied foe in Purefoods last night and streaked to a share of the early Philippine Cup lead after a 95-87 decision of the tender juicy giants at the Araneta Coliseum.
Not ranked in the top 3 of the teams to beat before the season started, the Gin Kings have so far repulsed the two teams which did a lot of beefing up in the off season, starting with a 98-86 triumph over San Miguel last week.
But coach Jong Uichico was quick to point out that winning their first two games does not in any way make a season for them, though he said that he was extremely happy that his first two wins came at the expense of the top echelon squads.
During the pre-season, the hype centered a lot on the Beermen, the Giants and defending champion Talk ‘N Text, with Ginebra getting in the news mainly because of the return of Mark Caguioa.
Caguioa did key that win over San Miguel by shooting 15 of his 17 points in the third quarter last Wednesday, but last night, the brilliance was on everyone in the team with Jay-Jay Helterbrand leading the way with 19.
Helterbrand, also the reigning MVP and on whose shoulders were eased some of the offensive burden with the return of Caguioa, paced three others in twin digits with James Yap hitting 21 to lead all Purefoods shooters.
The loss was the first for Purefoods, which tore Burger King and Japeth Aguilar apart in the inaugurals, 93-80.
Ginebra, meanwhile, grabbed a piece of the early pace with idle Alaska, which rode ‘Miller Time’ once again in fashioning out an 85-74 decision of San Miguel in an out of town sortie in Panabo, Davao Del Norte Saturday night.
Willie Miller, just four nights after registering the season’s first triple double, was again at his deadliest best, shooting clutch treys all night to lead the Aces to their second straight victory and help deal the Beermen an unexpected second straight loss.
The 6-foot dynamo tossed in 25 points built around five triples. He also had nine rebounds and got a lot of help from LA Tenorio, who finished with 18 points and had two clutch treys of his own in the endgame.
Dondon Hontiveros and Arwind Santos went on to lead San Miguel with 15 points each as the Beermen, despite being the powerhouse team that they are, are in one of their worst starts in two years.
And while Ginebra’s victories over Purefoods and San Miguel and the Aces’ conquest of the Beermen could be considered reversals, the biggest upset of the tournament thus far was registered earlier last night when Barako Bull upended Coca-Cola.
Not that the Tigers belong to the same powerhouse category as that of San Miguel, Talk ‘N Text and Purefoods, but the fact that the Energy Boosters have the weakest and least expensive lineup in the field made the win unexpected.
Journeyman point guard Magnum Membrere and rookie power forward Regomar Menor hit two key triples in the stretch to key the Boosters’ first win and drop the Tigers in the company of San Miguel.
The turning point of the match came as early as the first period, when Asi Taulava suffered a sprain and had to be taken to a nearby hospital for tests.
Without their team leader, the Tigers couldn’t find their groove and lost for the first time in their last six clashes with Barako Bull.
Membrere scored a career-high 14 points capped by the triple that broke the game’s last tie at 70, while Jojo Duncil, enjoying a lot of minutes with the departure of the team’s remaining stars to other teams over the years, finished with 11.
Dennis Espino scattered 15 points in his second game with the Tigers with Norman Gonzales adding 12.
