Kramer, Monfort power Petron and Barako to first wins

Doug Kramer stood out from among the more established names in the Petron Blaze lineup and helped lead the Boosters past Barangay Ginebra.
Eman Monfort, on the other hand, stood out from among giants in an earlier game and had the same effect in leading Barako Bull to a similar first win.
The 6-foot-5 Kramer helped Petron hold down Ginebra import Dion Lowhorn when it mattered and had one of the biggest baskets of the night as the Boosters nipped the Gin Kings, 101-95, in the PBA Governors’ Cup eliminations at the Araneta Coliseum.
Kramer finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds and his offensive rebound coupled with a short stab with 1:31 left gave the Boosters a 98-93 lead.
Marcio Lassiter then completed a three-point play off Mark Caguioa in the next Petron offensive just 11 seconds later as the Boosters put the game to bed to rise to 1-1 like Barako Bull, which scored a 90-89 nipping of Meralco in the first game.
Monfort, at 5-feet-6 and 1/14 inches is the fourth shortest player to ever lace up a pair of sneakers in the league, had career-highs of 22 points and seven rebounds that fired up the Energy in the second half on the way to the exciting win.
A former standout of the Ateneo in the UAAP like Kramer, Monfort made his first four three-point tries and scored 11 of his points in the third period where the Energy overhauled an eight-point halftime deficit.
He also had six points in the fourth quarter, four of them in a string as the Energy kept the Bolts at bay. Meralco also dropped to 1-1.
Mario West had two separate chances to win the game for the Bolts but flubbed two short stabs in different possessions in the dying seconds. He still finished with 33 points with Reynel Hugnatan chipping in 16.
“I just did what I thought I could to help the team,” Monfort said in Filipino after providing solid back-up to import Michael Singletary, who had 28 points, 14 rebounds and three steals.
Monfort’s totals were astounding. His 22 points were not only a career-high, but it was only one point shy of the total points he scored in his first four games in the league. His seven rebounds also matched his total in the same stretch.
Meralco coach Ryan Gregorio drew up two plays to wipe out what turned out to be the final deficit, getting the ball to the usually very reliable West after two timeouts.
But the hardworking NBA veteran, who had the chance to play defense against the likes of Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, muffed both attempts.
“It was a very tough game for us,” Barako Bull coach Rajko Toroman said. “First half, we didn’t play good because our point guards were no good.”
Toroman was referring to the time when Monfort had to sit it out after picking up three quick fouls in the third period, and the Energy were in disarray until he stepped back in starting the third quarter.
Meanwhile, Petron held the Kings scoreless for a crucial two-minute span in the stretch and peeled away from a 93-all game to win convincingly and bounce back from a conference-opening loss to Meralco.
LA Tenorio forged the game’s last tie with two free throws with 2:22 left, before the Kings went cold and had their next basket coming with a paltry two seconds to go and the outcome already beyond doubt.
A free throw by Elijah Millsap broke that tie, before Arwind Santos scored on a high-looping jumper for 96-93 with 1:51 remaining.
Ginebra then threw away its next possession when Willie Wilson was called for giving out an illegal screen that led to that Kramer putback which essentially wrote an ending to the game.