Fast and the furious

This time, it was the turn of Barangay Ginebra’s old guys to step up.

Desperately needing a fourth-quarter spark, the Gin Kings turned to a former MVP who turned 40 last night as Ginebra rallied mightily back from 16 points down to pull out an 88-86 win over Meralco that knotted the PBA Governors’ Cup title series at 2-all at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.

After the Bolts hushed a huge pro-Ginebra crowd by closing out the third with a 74-58 lead, Helterbrand hit three triples in a 21-2 run, the last capping the spurt and giving the Kings a 79-76 lead before Joe Devance finished off the Bolts in the stretch.

“I honestly did not know that it was Jay-Jay’s birthday today, and I am ashamed of that,” Ginebra coach Tim Cone said.

Mark Caguioa, another former MVP who has gotten limited minutes the whole season, also stepped up, making all of his four points in the fourth inside that run while also coming up with a lot of hustle plays on the other end.

“They (Helterbrand and Caguioa) played with much energy and I don’t feel like I should be here [for the interview],” Cone said. “They are great players and they make up for lousy coaching.

The Ginebra guard duo is popularly known as the “Fast and the Furious,” a throwback moniker to their younger, run-and-gun days.

“They pretty much saved our series,” added Cone, who lost Game 3, 103-107, when Meralco got huge games from veterans Reynel Hugnatan and Jimmy Alapag on Wednesday.

Meralco lacked local support this time as only newly minted Rookie of the Year Chris Newsome finished in twin digits after Allen Durham, who scored 34.

But it was Newsome who missed the potential game-tying attempt at the buzzer.

Game 5 is slated tomorrow, weather permitting, as the league is monitoring an incoming storm which could force the Office of the Commissioner to reschedule the game.

While veterans ruled Game 4, it was a legend-in-the-making that highlighted the Leo Awards held before Game 4.

San Miguel Beer cornerstone June Mar Fajardo—in a colored team shirt, tight-fitting jeans and low-cut Chuck Taylors—accepted a third straight Most Valuable Player trophy and wrote a huge chunk of PBA history with it.

In just his fourth season in the league, the 6-foot-10 native of a far-flung agricultural town in Cebu known as Pinamungahan became the first person to win three straight MVP trophies and looks a cinch to eclipse the most number of MVPs won by all-time greats Ramon Fernandez and Alvin Patrimonio.

“I can’t explain how I feel. I didn’t expect three straight MVPs. I didn’t even like basketball growing up,” Fajardo said, before humbly apologizing to the media at his inability to give speeches.

scores

Game 04: KINGS – BOLTS

BRGY. GINEBRA 88—Aguilar 19, Tenorio 12, Helterbrand 11, Brownlee 10, Mercado 10, Caguioa 8, Cruz 7, Devance 7, Thompson 4, Marcelo 0.

MERALCO 86—Durham 34, Newsome 15, Caram 8, Al-Hussaini 8, Hodge 6, Hugnatan 5, Nabong 4, Uyloan 3, Amer 3, Faundo 0, Alapag 0, Guevarra 0.

Quarters: 20-13, 46-35, 58-74, 88-86