MANILA, 12 February 2007 — In a series filled with numerous superstars, it took the brilliance of the man calling the shots on the San Miguel bench to win Game 2 of the PBA Philippine Cup title series.
Chot Reyes came up with a master stroke when winning time came, keying a 104-101 San Miguel victory over Barangay Ginebra for a 2-0 lead in the series that left another pro-Ginebra gallery at the Araneta Coliseum stunned.
With San Miguel leading by a precarious basket, time down to 24 seconds and Ginebra in possession, the mercurial drillmaster ordered a foul that sent Rafi Reavis to the foul line for an unconventional gamble that paid off.
“I figured that we needed to get the ball back and have the last shot instead of them (Gin Kings) having it (the last shot),” Reyes explained later.
Reavis, a career 53% free throw shooter, missed the charities that left Ginebra trailing, 99-101, before Willie Wilson, after a brilliant rebound, gave the Beermen a 102-99 lead off Ronald Tubid’s sixth foul with 18.7 seconds left. “We can talk of defense all we want, but at the end of the day, its the team that puts the ball into the hole that wins,” Reyes explained. “It just boiled down to free throw shooting.”
There were actually a lot of heroes for the Beermen, Wilson included, as Danny Seigle shone in his usual way despite being banged up all game, and Olsen Racela stepping up and Dondon Hontiveros and Lordy Tugade providing the timely sniping.
Racela hit a critical three-point shot at the height of a torrid Ginebra fightback for a 99-95 lead with 1:21 left. He also had the last of his two assists that led to a Seigle lay-in for a 101-99 lead before the Ginebra play which Reyes muddled up with his gamble.
“That’s why he’s the one who finishes the game for us,” Reyes said of Racela, who was made to stay on the floor even with rookie LA Tenorio, his heir apparent, stepping up big-time.
And Reyes smiled from ear-to-ear when reminded that he was one of only three coaches ever to lead a best-of-seven series 2-0 before losing, the others being Tim Cone of Alaska, twice, and Tommy Manotoc of San Miguel against Toyota in the 1982 Reinforced Conference.
“Please don’t remind me,” asked Reyes, who, as coach of the Coca-Cola Tigers in the 2003 All-Filipino, blew a similar advantage to lose in the next four games to eventual champion Talk ‘N Text.
Game 2 had a totally different look, with the intensity picking up and action turning from smooth to rough compared to the series-opener. Seigle hit the floor on numerous occasions but still fired 31 points to lead the Beermen, who also got 22 points from Hontiveros and 19 from Tugade, all in the middle two quarters. Seigle hit 11 of his total in the first period and 10 in the fourth.
Racela, a 14-year veteran, finished with 11 points.
Mark Caguioa led the Kings with 32 points despite an atrocious 10-of-28 from the field. But he did lead the mighty Ginebra comeback as he scored all of his seven fourth quarter points inside the final 4:57 which almost bailed his team out. Jay-Jay Helterbrand nailed a turnaround jumper with 32.4 left to forge the game’s last tie at 99, before Racela came up with that brilliant entry pass to Seigle for that two-point lead.
Jong Uichico, the Ginebra coach, never anticipated Reyes calling that play.
Reavis received the inbounds pass and was quickly fouled by Seigle. His free throws weren’t even close.
“I will admit, if we get another win (on Wednesday), then we have a pretty good chance (of winning the series),” Reyes added. “But against a team like Ginebra, no (series) lead is ever safe.
“It could be 2-0 or 3-0, and until we get that fourth win and they (Kings) are officially closed out, then we can’t take things for granted.”
