Gin Kings haul Mixers to Game 7

Barangay Ginebra forged a Game 7 in its Final Four series with San Mig Coffee last night after overhauling formidable deficits all game long in front of the legendary player responsible for developing the Gin Kings’ never-say-die attitude.

Greg Slaughter led a second-half fightback by the Kings, who pounded out a 94-91 decision over the Mixers in Game 6 to drag their PLDT MyDSL Philippine Cup semifinal series to the full route before an animated gallery of more than 14,000 that included Robert Jaworski at Araneta Coliseum.

After Ginebra had erased a 14-point first-half deficit, the Gin Kings again persevered and overhauled an 88-91 San Mig lead heading into the final 1:24 with Slaughter coming up with the decisive shots in the clutch.

“We started playing defense in the third period,” Ginebra coach Ato Agustin said. “I just told them to cut the lead down slowly. We have to give it our all in Game 7.”

The winner of the rubber match tomorrow, set at 8 p.m. also at the Big Dome, will advance to square off with Rain or Shine in another best-of-seven series for the championship.

Rain or Shine dominated powerhouse Petron Blaze earlier and ended their side of the Final Four in just five games to reach the Finals here for the second straight year.

LA Tenorio, who made two bad decisions in the final seven seconds of a 76-79 Game 5 loss on Saturday, atoned for his previous gaffes by finishing with 16 points and holding the Kings together.

“I didn’t think of redeeming myself in this game; I was still thinking of the team,” Tenorio, who was mobbed by his show biz friends at center court after the game, said in Filipino.

“I want to thank my teammates and coaching staff by giving my morale a boost.”

Mark Caguioa was also big, hitting two straight baskets at the start of the fourth period that gave Ginebra just its first lead at 77-76 after 5-2 in the first quarter, before Slaughter scored eight of his 20 points the rest of the way.

The top overall pick in this season’s Draft, the 7-footer out of Ateneo sank two free throws with two seconds remaining for what turned out to be the final count.

James Yap, the two-time MVP who was the hero in the Game 5 win, again took San Mig’s last three-point attempt at the buzzer, but this time, his shot from about 30 feet was way short.

Caguioa finished with 21 points and Slaughter 20 that went with 11 rebounds. Japeth Aguilar was the fourth Ginebra player in twin digits with 13, but was not on the floor in the endgame because of foul trouble.

Marc Pingris paced all San Mig shooters with a season-high 20 points, while Peter June Simon added 17 but had a crucial airball when the Mixers were trailing by just one, 91-92.

The scores:

GINEBRA 94—Caguioa 21, Slaughter 20, Tenorio 16, Aguilar 13, Baracael 9, Helterbrand 5, Ellis 4, Reyes 4, Mamaril 2, Monfort 0, Urbiztondo 0.

SAN MIG SUPER COFFEE 91—Pingris 20, Simon 17, Barroca 14, Sangalang 12, Reavis 9, Yap 9, Melton 5, Devance 3, Mallari 2, De Ocampo 0.

Quarters: 22-24, 41-50, 73-74, 94-91