Barangay Ginebra finally has a winning streak going, but not after 7-foot-3 KIA Motors PJ Ramos made the Gin Kings sweat very hard for it.

Finding the KIA behemoth really tough to handle, the Gin Kings managed to break away only in the fourth period on Friday night before posting a 100-92 victory that put Ginebra in the middle of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup pack at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.

“It was really tough. He (Ramos) is really big and strong, we tried several defensive tactics in trying to hold him down,” said Ginebra coach Ato Agustin in Filipino after Ginebra improved to 2-2.

Michael Dunigan had 27 points and 11 rebounds and four locals tossed in 11 or better for the Gin Kings, whom Agustin said played disorganized in the first two periods.

Greg Slaughter went in and out because of fouls but still finished with 14 points with Mark Caguioa and Joseph Yeo combining for 11 fourth quarter points to help doom the Carnival to a second consecutive setback and to 1-4 overall.

LA Tenorio, who missed the last two Ginebra practices because of a stomach virus that got him confined in a hospital, fired 11 points and had seven assists to earn Player of the Game honors.

“I hope that this (streak) is the start of something big for us,” Agustin added. “But we have Talk ‘N Text next (on Sunday) and as you all saw, we played our import (Dunigan) extensively today because of Ramos.”

Ramos, despite being under heavy pressure of a double- even triple-teaming defense all game, still got away with 37 points and 22 rebounds in another mammoth performance befitting his mammoth frame.

But he missed several close attempts in the endgame that also allowed the Gin Kings to escape.

Mark Yee was the only other KIA player in twin digits with 13 as the Carnival again was coached by Chito Victolero in place of Manny Pacquiao, the boxing icon who is trying to juggle his duties as a prized fighter, congressman and head coach at the same time.

The game was tied until the end of the third at 70 only for the Kings to put on their skates in the fourth with Dunigan tossing in 12 of his total in the last 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, Arabnews learned before Friday’s doubleheader that Chito Salud, the man in charge of the league since 2010, will step down at the end of the season.

Salud, who was able to expand the roster of teams to an all-time high 12 during his watch, met with his staff Friday afternoon to break the news.

No reason was given but according to a source, Salud was supposedly just following the timetable he gave himself when he took over from Sonny Barrios at the start of the 2010 season.

A press conference will be held Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.

Under Salud, two expansion clubs – Blackwater and KIA – were accepted with a third new team, NLEX, buying the Air21 franchise at the end of last season for an undisclosed amount.

In the first game, Talk ‘N Text also will take a winning feeling going into its Sunday clash with Ginebra after clipping Barako Bull, 80-75.

The Tropang Texters also survived a scare from the Energy, who saw their three-game winning streak come to a halt, but not after fighting it out tooth-and-nail with one of the pre-tournament favorites.

“We still have to get better,” said Talk ‘N Text coach Jong Uichico when asked if he was satisfied at the rate his team is playing at this point in the conference. “We had a good first half and, obviously, we didn’t have a good second half.

“They (Energy) just missed some shots. We just escaped with a win,” Uichico added. “We only scored 80 points. We have to find ways to put more points on the board.”

Talk ‘N Text already had 47 at the end of the first half and held a 10-point lead, something which was “Ok,” according to Uichico.

“But (33 points) is not the way to finish a game,” he said.

Jason Castro scored 16 capped by a key triple entering the final two minutes that made it 79-72. Five other scored in double digits with import Richard Howell shooting 11 and plucking down 18 rebounds.

Solomon Alabi paced the Energy with 21 points and 23 boards.

Barako Bull played without point guard Sol Mercado for the third straight game.