LA Tenorio saves Kings

PANABO CITY—LA Tenorio got away with what looked like a traveling violation Saturday night and hit a jumper with 1.2 seconds left that keyed a come-from-behind 102-101 win by Barangay Ginebra over Phoenix Petroleum in the Oppo PBA Commissioner’s Cup at Panabo Multi-Purpose Tourism, Sports and Cultural Center here.

The fleet-footed point guard capped a sterling night with that marginal bucket that completed the Gin Kings’ comeback from five points down with under a minute left as Ginebra won the Petron Saturday Special Game to improve to 5-3.

It was definitely a bitter loss to swallow for the Fuel Masters, who held a 17-point halftime lead and then had an 8-0 spurt with just over three minutes remaining that gave them a 97-90 lead.

Phoenix was up, 101-96 after two free throws and a short stab by import Kevin Pinkney with 50 seconds remaining, but the Fuel Masters never got a good look at another basket from there to fall to 2-5.

Greg Slaughter led the Kings with 28 points and 13 rebounds. Import Othyus Jeffers finished with 24 and 14, with his miss on his second free throw with nine seconds remaining keeping Phoenix ahead, 101-100.

“We didn’t play well all night.  They played very very well, they hit the big shots.  I’m still shocked how we won,” said Ginebra coach Tim Cone, who also credited rival Koy Banal for “coaching a perfect game.”

Joe Devance, who drained a triple that made it 101-99, chased down the long offensive rebound and got the ball to Tenorio, who lost defender Eman Monfort in a Slaughter screen and got a shot off RR Garcia after shuffling his feet.

Tenorio wound up with 17 points, nine assists and six boards.

Kevinn Pinkney paced the Fuel Masters with 24 points and 14 boards, with Garcia winding up with 23, six rebounds and the last of his nine assists—a beautiful wrap-around pass under the armpit of Slaughter—resulting in that Pinkney basket for 101-96.

The league takes a break today and will resume tomorrow with a regular doubleheader at Smart Araneta Coliseum as Alaska tries to bounce back from its worst loss of the conference for a share of the lead against Mahindra.

That game is slated at 4:15 p.m. before Rain or Shine plays sans suspended coach Yeng Guiao in a bid for a fourth straight win against struggling defending champion Tropang TNT at 7 p.m.

The scores:

GINEBRA 102—Slaughter 28, Jeffers 24, Tenorio 17, Devance 9, Aguilar 6, Mercado 6, Thompson 6, Caguioa 4, Cruz 2, Ellis 0, Helterbrand 0, Marcelo 0, Salva 0.

PHOENIX 101—Pinkney 24, Garcia 23, Monfort 10, Urbiztondo 10, Lanete 9, Intal 8, Baracael 7, Wilson 6, Brondial 2, Pennisi 2.

Quarters: 17-31, 39-56, 75-80, 102-101