Kings of the season

BOCAUE, Bulacan—Tim Cone got the “great game to win” in the bag for Barangay Ginebra last night, and it is something he and his Gin Kings could use as they prepare for their toughest battle yet in the PBA Philippine Cup eliminations.

With Japeth Aguilar exploding for a career-high 32 points, the Kings tripped Star, 86-79, in the most hyped-up match of the young season and it was a victory Cone sees as the prelude to being put from “the frying pan and into the fire.”

“They’re the leaders,” Cone said after also getting 17 points from Joe Devance at Philippine Arena here, where the league attendance record stood way safe after just over an estimated 21,000 fans showed up at the 55,000-seat facility.

“This game was a chance for us to build momentum,” Cone added of the next Ginebra match, which will be against powerhouse defending champion and league leader San Miguel Beer, on Jan. 8.

Keeping the faith despite a forgettable start to the season, Mahindra finally got the best gift on Christmas Day when it tripped Blackwater, 97-93, in overtime in the first game.

It was just the first win in six games for Mahindra and it didn’t do much in changing its position in the 12-team standings, but the win more or less put some measure of respect back for the Floodbusters after they took out one of the most improved teams in the conference.

Alex Mallari scored 23 points to tie his career-high, tossing nine of them in the fourth quarter where the Floodbusters overhauled a 79-64 deficit halfway through the period before pulling out the win in extra time.

“I just told them (Floodbusters) to keep believing, and they kept believing,” coach Chris Gavina said after the holiday upset.

With the victory over Star, Cone can now focus on his next problem.

“There’s not a tougher conundrum in June Mar Fajardo,” Cone said after his Kings assured themselves of ending the year with a .500 record by tying Star at 3-3. “He perplexes all of us coaches. San Miguel, because of June Mar, is the hardest team to prepare for.”

The 6-foot-9 Aguilar came up with a magnificent performance, hitting 5-of-5 attempts from beyond the arc and going 67 percent from the field.

This year’s Christmas Day version of Ginebra vs Star was different from last year, when LA Tenorio knocked down a triple at the buzzer for a 92-89 overtime victory.

But Cone, who was on the losing end of that game last year, was just glad to be a part of this one.

“This is a great game to win and a bad one to lose [for Star],” he said. “What is Ginebra now in Christmas Day games, 10-1? I’ve been on the other side of several of those wins and I am just glad to have been able to be part of that legacy now.”

SCORES

MAHINDRA 97 – BLACKWATER 93
MAHINDRA 97—Mallari 23, Arana 19, Salva 14, Eriobu 9, Revilla 9, Yee 8, Elorde 6, Nimes 4, DiGregorio 3, Escoto 2, Ballesteros 0, Celda 0, Deutchman 0, Paniamogan 0, Webb 0.
BLACKWATER 93—Dela Cruz 18, Pinto 15, Belo 14, Sumang 12, Sena 10, Pascual 9, Buenafe 6, Aguilar 3, Banal 2, Cervantes 2, Gamalinda 2, Ababou 0, Forrester 0, Miranda 0.
Quarters: 18-18, 41-41, 59-66, 83-83, 97-93
GINEBRA 86 – STAR 79
GINEBRA 86—Aguilar 32, Devance 17, Tenorio 7, Mariano 7, Thompson 5, Taha 5, Caguioa 4, Marcelo 4, Ellis 3, Mercado 2, Ferrer 0, Helterbrand 0, Cruz 0.
STAR 79—Lee 20, Pingris 14, Maliksi 13, Ramos 7, Dela Rosa 6, Barroca 6, Melton 5, Reavis 4, Simon 4, Sangalang 0, Brondial 0.
Quarters: 25-16, 45-35, 62-61, 86-79