MANILA: For sure, KIA Motors will remember this victory more than the first.

And without a doubt, San Miguel Beer will find it hard to live this one down.

The Carnival chalked up the biggest victory in its franchise on Wednesday night, bringing down the Beermen, 88-78, despite playing without an import in the last 4:37 of their PBA Commissioner’s Cup elimination round game at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.

Tiny point guard LA Revilla hit all six free throws awarded to him in the final frame and Leo Avenido, Kyle Pascual and Mike Burtscher scored four points each in the same stretch as the Carnival fended off the last of San Miguel’s numerous rallies.

It was just the second win in the young history of KIA in Asia’s first play-for-pay league, but this one certainly will go down as the most impressive, a far cry from the 100-86 win the Carnival churned out against fellow rookie team Blackwater on Oct. 19.

The Carnival pounced on the rustiness that the Beermen showed up with, playing smart and determined in the endgame even if their go-to-guy, the 7-foot-4 PJ Ramos, hit the bench because of six fouls with 4:37 left.

“I have been preaching to them that the locals should step up, especially in the endgame,” KIA assistant coach Chito Victolero told reporters. “That’s the only way for us to win.”

Victolero replaced Glenn Capacio as KIA’s first assistant coach to Manny Pacquiao, who was a no-show for the third straight game because of several commitments abroad, including judging in the 63rd Miss Universe in Doral, Florida last week.

“That has been our problem before — finishing games,” Victolero, a former relief point guard with defunct Sta. Lucia, added. “Now I am very happy.”

The Beermen, less than two weeks removed from conquering Alaska in a bruising seven-game series for the Philippine Cup, couldn’t shake off the championship hangover and trailed by as big as 18 points late in the third quarter.

Ramos then went in and out of the game as Victolero tried to save him for the stretch, enabling the Beermen to creep within one near the halfway mark of the fourth period, 72-71.

But the Carnival answered back each time and by the time Ramos hit the bench for good, KIA was ahead, 75-70, a lead which its lightly-regarded local crew preserved despite being under siege the rest of the way.

Ramos went on to post PBA career lows of 22 points and nine rebounds, but Revilla, Mark Yee and JR Cawaling all tossed in twin digits with Pascual and Burtscher chipping in big during crunchtime.

Reigning MVP June Mar Fajardo and import Ronald Roberts paced the Beermen with 18 points each. Roberts had 22 rebounds but had two crucial errors in the stretch that aided the San Miguel downfall.

Completely overshadowed by the upset of the season was Meralco’s 91-83 nipping of sister team Talk ‘N Text in the second game, which gave the Bolts their best-ever start in a conference since joining the league in 2010.

Gary David scattered 17 points and John Wilson hit nine of his 12 in the final two frames to help Meralco post its first 3-0 start while dealing the Tropang Texters their first loss in three outings.

“I’d like to praise my players for executing our defensive game plan today,” Meralco coach Norman Black said. “Our offense was OK, it wasn’t great, but it was enough to give us a win.”

Cliff Hodge scored 11 like Mike Cortez, who came back from a one-game absence to quarterback the Meralco offense well.

Import Josh Davis scored just eight points but plucked down 17 rebounds as the Bolts dominated the Texters in the battle off the boards, 52-35.

Richard Howell, the Best Import here last year when the Texters finished second to eventual Grand Slam champion San Mig Coffee, now Purefoods, paced Talk ‘N Text with 24 points and nine boards.