Ginebra stays alive, captures Game Five

BARANGAY GINEBRA gutted out a 100-93 victory over Talk ‘N Text last night to stay alive in their best-of-seven series for the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.

The win cut the Tropang Texters’ series lead to 3-2 and fanned the flames of Ginebra’s desperate bid to repeat the most remarkable comeback ever in league history.

But coach Jong Uichico said he wants to take the win at face value. Nothing more.

“We just stayed alive,” the unassuming Uichico told reporters shortly after the win that left the yellow, red and blue championship balloons of TNT hanging in the Big Dome’s rafters.

“That’s all it is with today’s game. It’s hard to look forward (to winning the series). What we did was get the job done today,” he continued. “We will try to get the job done again on Sunday. There’s nothing to celebrate about. But of course, we’re happy.”

Nate Brumfield came out of a scoring stupor to unload 26 points and Mark Caguioa, in his usual deadly self, finished with 20 to spark a furious finish that had Ginebra breaking away.

Ginebra is trying to replicate its 1-3 comeback against the defunct Shell in the 1991 Third Conference, but Uichico said he wasn’t even thinking about it.

“That’s farthest from my mind,” Uichico said. “We cannot look too far ahead.”

Talk ‘N Text played far from the best form that coach Chot Reyes said they needed to wrap this series up.

In fact, Reyes described his squad as mediocre after they were held to just 38 first-half points and trailed by 10 at the start of the third. The Texters were actually in the game all night but just couldn’t convert the shots they needed to.

“Nate Brumfield showed us today why he’s the Best Import,” Reyes said in disgust. “Nasa Luneta yata ang mga players ko, namamasyal (Maybe our players were on a stroll at the Rizal Park.)

“That’s unacceptable, a mortal sin for our team. If we don’t have energy, we’re a very mediocre team. We still have the (series) lead and we still have a chance on Sunday, that’s the good thing.”

Ginebra turned bad Talk ‘N Text plays into precious baskets in the homestretch, with a Mike Cortez triple off a broken play at the 1:13 mark handing the Kings a 98-90 lead.

“Big difference for us was the two-guard,” Reyes said. “Third thing was the rebounding; they beat us badly off the boards. We gave them too many possessions and we had just four fastbreak points.”

The scores:
BARANGAY GINEBRA 100—Brumfield 26, Caguioa 20, Hatfield 12, Intal 10, Cortez 10, Labagala 9, J. Wilson 4, Mamaril 4, Menk 3, Miller 2, W. Wilson 0, Tubid 0.
TALK ‘N TEXT 93—Castro 19, Alapag 17, De Ocampo 16, Harris 15, Fonacier 13, Williams 8, Carey 2, Peek 2, Reyes 1, Aban 0.
Quarters: 18-24, 39-38, 70-66, 100-93