MANILA—So who needs an import?
An all-Filipino Barangay Ginebra squad repulsed powerhouse B-Meg, 89-85, last night to creep closer to a semifinal slot in the PBA Governors’ Cup while pushing the Llamados on the brink at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.
Mark Caguioa and Willie Wilson took turns in hitting the shots that hurt the Llamados in the stretch even as Ginebra yielded just one basket from the final 2:52 to pull off the come-from-behind win.
Ginebra improved to 4-2 with its second straight win with import Curtis Stinson watching from the bench and former two-time MVP Willie Miller and JC Intal sitting it out because of different illnesses.
“I guess it’s human nature, that they (Llamados) had the tendency to relax because we didn’t have an import and that we, being undermanned, worked doubly hard,” Ginebra coach Jong Uichico said in Filipino.
“We have the confidence playing all-Filipino,” he added. “We just tried to keep the game close and the breaks just came our way (in the stretch).”
Stinson has a badly-bruised right knee and will be replaced by fellow NBA D-League veteran Donald Sloan who is expected to arrive tomorrow at the earliest.
B-Meg was in command practically all night, leading by as many as 12 points several times in the first half behind some hot shooting from the three-point area. The Llamados connected on seven triple tries in the first half, six of them in the opening period.
Ronald Tubid topscored for the Kings with 20 and sealed the deal with two free throws in the final 14.1 seconds off Rafi Reavis.
Only idle league-leader Petron, which has a 5-2 record, is assured of a seat in the six-team semifinals, with only Air21, which is winless in six games, booted out.
Teams are targeting five wins to make the playoffs outright, leaving the Llamados, who dropped to 3-4 overall, no option but to win their last game to have at least a chance of forging a playoff for the last spot.
Darnell Hinson paced the Llamados with 21 points and James Yap and Peter June Simon had 14 each.
But B-Meg missed three point blank attempts inside the final minute which could have changed the complexion of the contest.
The scores:
GINEBRA 89—Tubid 20, Caguioa 19, Menk 14, Wilson W. 12, Mamaril 11, Helterbrand 7, Cortez 4, De Ocampo 2, Labagala 0, Wilson J. 0.
B-MEG 85—Hinson 21, Yap J. 14, Simon 14, Pingris 11, Devance 8, Reavis 6, Yap R. 6, Fernandez 3, Gaco 2, Escobal 0, Allado 0.
Quarters: 21-30, 41-45, 67-66, 89-85