MANILA, Philippines — Ginebra tripped Smart Gilas Pilipinas anew, 110-103, to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-five semifinals series of the 2011 PBA Commissioner’s Cup Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.
Rampaging import Nate Brumfield scored eight of Ginebra’s last 10 points to lead the Gin Kings anew as they move to within a win away of their first finals appearance in history in three years.
“Hopefully we get this series, it doesn’t matter when,” said Ginebra head coach Jong Uichico.
Brumfield followed up his 31-point showing in game one with a 45-point explosion that went with 13 rebounds.
Mark Caguioa also collected 18 points for Ginebra.
The Gin Kings’ relentless attack in the paint paid off as they went to the foul line 45 times, making 35 of them with 23 coming from Brumfield.
And with stiffling defense, they also held National’s six-foot-ten reinforcement Marcus Douthit to only 20 points, with six in the fourth.
“After not practicing for two weeks, I think two games in three nights is too much for him,” said Nationals head coach Rajko Toroman.
Unlike in the first game, the Nationals were not able to erase Ginebra’s lead, which extended to 12 , its biggest, in the 1:29 mark of third quarter.
It was actually combination of a sagging defense and anemic offensive night as the Nationals only connected on two field goals in the last eight minutes of the contest and allowed Ginebra to score 37 points in the second quarter alone.
Chris Tiu led Smart Gilas with 22 markers.