INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines - No way were the balloons falling on this night.

San Miguel Beer kept Barangay Ginebra’s celebratory plans in check, hammering out a 98-84 decision last night to send the battle for the Motolite PBA Fiesta Cup trophy into a winner-take-all battle.

The Beermen went to work early, taking control of the match in the second period and weathering big rallies by the Kings in the third period to frustrate a large pro-Ginebra crowd that was looking to celebrate at the Araneta Coliseum.

“We now have momentum and we just have to do what we need to do in Game 7 to win,” Danny Ildefonso told a courtside reporter in Filipino after the match.

Gabe Freeman led San Miguel with 24 points while Ildefonso added 18, shooting 8-for-8 from the stripe, and also grabbed seven boards.

The game was tight in the first quarter-and-a-half, until Dondon Hontiveros scored two triples to highlight a 16-5 kick by the Beermen to close out the first half and give San Miguel a 44-34 lead.

Ginebra came to within six points midway through the third period at 61-55, but each time the Kings looked poised to make a run and end San Miguel’s hopes, the Beermen found a way to retake control of the ballgame.

Game 7s aren’t exactly San Miguel’s cup of tea, with the Beermen losing four of six deciders they played in, while Ginebra is flawless in two such matches, the last coming in this tournament last year when the Kings rallied from a 2-3 series deficit.

The only other Ginebra victory came in the 1991 First Conference, when Robert Jaworski led his crowd darlings to an improbable comeback from 1-3 down to beat Shell and Bobby Parks courtesy of Rudy Distrito’s fallaway in the dying seconds.

“Actually, we haven’t done anything, we just tied it,” San Miguel coach Siot Tanquingcen told reporters later.

“We could have finished it today, but it didn’t happen that way,” Ginebra coach Jong Uichico said. “Now it’s a jump ball (in Game 7). At least we have a 50/50 chance of winning the championship.”

The scores:

SAN MIGUEL BEER 98—Freeman 24, Ildefonso 18, Cortez 12, Hontiveros 11, Villanueva 9, Washington 8, Pingris 6, Pennisi 5, Pena 3, Racela 2, Custodio 0.

BRGY. GINEBRA 84—Noel 16, Menk 15, Tubid 13, Pacana 9, Helterbrand 8, Wilson 7, Salvacion 6, Reavis 6, Lanete 2, Baguio 2, Artadi 0, Mamaril 0.

Quarters: 17-19, 44-34, 68-61, 98-84