Kings nip Bolts, share top position
Joshua Smith of Talk n Text lays it up nice and easy over Duke Crews and Jeff Chan of Rain or Shine. JUN MENDOZA
MANILA, Philippines - Barangay Ginebra scored a treble in a week and in the process put itself in a comfortable position to gain top seeding in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup playoffs at the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo last night.
After earlier wins over San Miguel Beer and Blackwater, the Gin Kings made it three in a row with a 90-89 nail-biter over the Meralco Bolts and thus caught up with the Star Hotshots in the lead with two play dates left in the one-round-robin elims.
Ginebra takes top honors in the elims and a twice-to-beat bonus in the quarterfinals with a win versus Mahindra at the close of the elims on Friday.
“This set us up to get the No. 1 seed. Top seeding doesn’t guarantee a championship but it gets you in a good road in the playoffs,” said Ginebra coach Tim Cone.
Ginebra and Meralco figured in a tough grind-out battle, with the Kings pulling through on a monumental collapse by the Bolts in the dying seconds.
The Bolts got a chance to win the game after Justin Brownlee missed two charities with Ginebra ahead by just one at 90-89 with six seconds to go.
Alex Stepheson grabbed the defensive rebound but then Chris Newsome ran a fastbreak play that went awry, hurling a pass that went way, way ahead of the streaking Cliff Hodge.
With a 7-4 closing mark, Meralco will figure in a best-of-three quarterfinal playoff.
In the first game, Roger Pogoy struck from afar off a broken play then Ranidel de Ocampo canned in two pressure-packed free throws as TNT KaTropa edged Rain or Shine in a down-to-the-wire battle, 105-102, to assure itself of at least a Top Five finish.
Burly import Joshua Smith powered his way to 23 points, including three successive baskets that kept TNT intact under pressure entering the final minute of the contest.
Then Pogoy and De Ocampo came through with their clutch hits as the Texters survived a gritty challenge of an all-Filipino ROS crew and sealed an 8-3 closing mark.
At 5-6, the Elasto Painters are in danger of finishing outside the Top Six.
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