MANILA: With a complete lineup and an Asian import it finally likes, Barangay Ginebra on Wednesday night showed what it can do.

Mark Caguioa and Japeth Aguilar combined for the most crucial plays in the final 12.3 seconds and keyed a 111-108 overtime victory by the Gin Kings over Globalport that put Ginebra back in the thick of the PBA Governors’ Cup fight at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.

Caguioa scored the go-ahead basket and Aguilar smothered Keith Jensen’s triple try on the other end before drilling two pressure-packed charities with 5.9 ticks to go as the Gin Kings crept closer to .500 after rising to 3-4 and keeping a top four berth within sight.

“I’m going to have a heart attack in games like this,” Ginebra coach Frankie Lim said upon entering the press room for the customary winning coach’s interview.

Lim and the rest of the Gin Kings watched with bated breath when Globalport import Jarrid Famous – who played the best game of his PBA career — barely missed sending the game into a second extension when his three-pointer at the buzzer went a tad to the right.

Orlando Johnson scored 34 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for the Kings, who also drew a double-double from Aguilar, who had 18 and 13 as Ginebra fought the equally tall Batang Pier on even terms in the paint.

Famous, a 6-foot-10 American who played for the Lebanon national team and had prior stints with San Miguel Beer and Meralco, finished with career-highs of 39 points and 28 rebounds in a 50-minute job.

Greg Slaughter played just his second game for Ginebra and contributed in a big way, shooting four straight points inside the final 1:13 of overtime that helped the Kings keep control. He finished with seven points and had 10 rebounds.

Globalport engaged the Gin Kings to a total of 14 lead changes and 11 deadlocks and had a 108-107 lead with 24.7 seconds left after Omar Krayem hit his fourth triple from basically the same spot where he drained one to forge extension at 101-all with 4.5 seconds left in regulation.

“Globalport is a very tough team,” Lim said in paying respects to the Batang Pier, who dropped to 4-3 and were denied of an outright berth in the quarterfinals. “It was a very tough match and it was all about effort for us.

“I challenged my players before the game that if we were coming in with the same effort that we displayed against San Miguel Beer (last week), then we don’t have a chance,” Lim said.

Ginebra unveiled a new Asian import in South Korean Kim Ji-wan, who took the place of Sanchir Tungalag of Mongolia.

Kim played 35 minutes and finished with 11 points and was on the floor in the crucial stages, proof that the Kings might have settled for someone they like.

Krayem contributed a total of 19 points with Terrence Romeo shooting 18 and Pringle finishing with 13.

“This was a big win for us,” Lim went on. “Had we lost this one, we would have been buried in the standings and a place in the top four would be very difficult.”

Rain or Shine, another struggling powerhouse, has the same top four bid in mind, and the Elasto Painters kept their chances alive in the first game after scoring a lopsided 123-85 ripping of rookie squad Blackwater.

Paul Lee, the Elasto Painters’ super point guard, cranked up the Rain or Shine offense by shooting all of his 13 points in the first quarter and ushering his side to early double-digit leads.

After closing out the first period with a 30-22 lead, the Elasto Painters seemed to play on cruise control and dealt the Elite the worst beating in their young PBA lives as Rain or Shine rose to 2-4 and stayed in the hunt.

Wendell McKines scored 15 points like Jervy Cruz to pace the Painters, as the one-sided result allowed coach Yeng Guiao to rest his big guns with no one playing more than 30 minutes.

Marcus Douthit finished with just 14 points for the Elite, who dropped to 1-6 overall and remained occupying a very familiar position – the cellar – going into the crucial stretches of the elimination round.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve been in a situation like this,” Guiao said. “We’ve been struggling, living day-to-day and game-by-game.

“A win like this gives our confidence a boost. We’re not ready to give up on this conference,” he added. “When you’re drowning, you just cling to anything that gives you some buoyancy. This (blowout win) is important for our ego.”

Next up for the Painters will be Talk 'N Text on Saturday with Rain or Shine hoping to exploit the sudden dip in form that the Tropang Texters showed in bowing by 34 points to Meralco on Tuesday.

That game is slated to be played in Bacolod at 5 p.m.