Cedric Bozeman slams over Mario West and reynel Hugnatan. PBA IMAGES/Nuki Sabio
MANILA, Philippines — Ginebra showed a masterful performance in hammering out an 89-76 victory over Meralco Friday to start off the semifinals of the 2012 PBA Governor’s Cup at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
The Gin Kings outrebounded the opponent, dominated in the paint and also made their shots from the outside, building a whopping 25-point lead by the end of the third, which they sustained until the end.
An inspired performance from veteran Kerby Raymundo, who has yet to regain his old dominant form since transferring to Ginebra, also highlighted the all-important victory as he finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds.
Import Cedric Bozeman also dished out all around numbers with 13 points and 16 boards, accounting for Ginebra’s 61-41 edge over Meralco in the rebounding department.
Ginebra raised its record to 6-4, which gives them an edge in the six-team, single round robin semifinals with the top team advancing to the next round.
An explosive 9-0 start propelled the Gin Kings to an early 25-10, and were able to maintain the energy while neutralizing the Bolts’ offense.
After Meralco cut down the lead to single digits in the third period, Ginebra turned to its bruisers to widen the gap anew – and Bozeman and Enrico Villanueva rose up and attacked the paint relentlessly.
Jayjay Helterbrand, who was quiet all game, put up a triple before setting up rookie Dylan Ababou for a 71-46 lead.
Meralco, which reeled to its sixth loss with four wins, tried to mount a run in the payoff period, outscoring Ginebra by 10 points, although it was Import Mario West who led all scorers with 22 points.