Grand Slam bid over

For the second time in three seasons, Barangay Ginebra stood at the door of San Miguel Beer’s Grand Slam bid. For the second time in three seasons, the Kings slammed the door hard on the Beermen.

Catching the season’s most dominant squad in a turbulent phase, Barangay Ginebra nipped San Miguel Beer, 100-97, in the PBA Governors’ Cup on Sunday, again denying the Beermen a shot at the triple crown.

“We needed to grind it out and we did,” said Kings coach Tim Cone after the match at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Beermen have been on a roll this season, dominating the first two conferences while finding a gem of an import in Dez Wells to spearhead the Grand Slam bid.

But after Wells went down with an ankle injury late in the elimination round, the Beermen began to unravel, the drama highlighted by a practice scuffle involving the high-scoring import and former MVP Arwind Santos—among others.

The scuffle drastically overturned San Miguel’s dream season. Santos was suspended in a crucial duel with TNT while Wells left the country, leaving the Beermen with John Holland, who lacked the kind of quality Wells provided.

“Certainly Arwind would’ve changed the game,” said Cone. “He has been a thorn to my side for a long time.”

Ginebra forced the necessary stops in the final minute, highlighted by resident import Justin Brownlee’s block on a Terrence Romeo triple that denied the Beermen a chance at knotting the count.

Brownlee finished with 41 points, 11 rebounds to go with three blocks and a pair of steals.

June Mar Fajardo finished with 24 points and 18 rebounds while Holland had 20 points and eight rebounds for the Beermen.

Also making the semifinals was Meralco, which held off Alaska, 94-84, in the earlier game.

Allein Maliksi fired 23 points while Allen Durham was his usual all-around self as the Bolts now look forward—with wariness—to top a semifinal outing against either TNT or Magnolia.

“They’re both very strong teams,” said coach Norman Black. “I really don’t have one choice over the other. Either is going to be tough, difficult.”

“Anyway, we’re there already in, so let them decide that.”