The crowd-darling Gin Kings and the Llamados pounded out contrasting victories Friday night, sending their best-of-five quarterfinal series with separate foes in the PBA Fiesta Conference into deciding games Sunday.
Ginebra pulled level at 2-2 after eking out a 94-90 victory over Alaska, the Kings’ second straight win in the series that put them within another win of duplicating a similar 0-2 comeback against Talk ‘N Text in the Philippine Cup quarters this season.
“Jumpball na ito,” Uichico told reporters almost as instantly as he sat for the customary winning coach’s interview. “We worked so very hard to have a Sunday game and now that we are here, it’s 50/50.
“Hopefully, we can come up with the same mindset like when we were down 0-2.” Since 1993, only one team – the all-Filipino Ginebra crew a few months ago – was successful in winning a best-of-five series after being 0-2 down, pulling it out against the Tropang Texters in a controversial manner.
Talk ‘N Text walked out of that game for what it said was biased officiating and the squad was fined more than P1 million for its action. Not only that, about the most painful thing was the Texters gave the Kings a semifinal seat without a fight.
And that won’t happen in this series, as each game has been decided with slim margins with the last two Ginebra wins coming by four-point spreads. Sunday Salvacion sealed Ginebra’s win with two free throws in the last 2.6 seconds as the Kings practically averted an endgame collapse.
Uichico got five players shooting in twin digits with Ronald Tubid shooting 13 to pace the squad in the low-scoring contest. JC Intal, the Game 3 hero, reigning MVP Jay-Jay Helterbrand and former two-time MVP Willie Miller each tossed in 12.
Tubid and Intal connected on three-point baskets and Eric Menk scored on a short stab with 1:34 remaining that had the Kings scampering to a 92-87 and giving the game the complexion that this one would have a runaway result.
But just as the Ginebra faithful thought that the Aces were ready to roll over and die came a rally that almost turned things around.
Good thing for the Kings, the Aces doomed themselves when it really mattered.
Alaska saw an opening when Helterbrand committed a passing error after Sonny Thoss had split his free throws.
Import Diamon Simpson capitalized on it by hitting two more gift shots to close the gap at 92-90, and then recorded a brilliant block off Enrico Villanueva in the ensuing play for the chance to tie the match.
In an unusual scene that had Alaska blowing a chance, Joe DeVance committed a traveling violation while trying to pass to LA Tenorio for the blunder of the game with 12.4 seconds remaining.
To make matters worse, the Aces even allowed precious seconds to tick by before giving up a duty foul on Salvacion that eventually put the game to bed for the Kings.
Derby Ace also levelled its series with Rain or Shine after unveiling a gem of an import in Tony Washam in a 92-78 mangling of the Elasto Painters.
Washam scored 29 points and was a ferocious presence underneath for the Llamados, who can repeat over the Painters with another win on Sunday.
James Yap had 17 points and Roger Yap 13 with Rod Nealy leading all Rain or Shine shooters with 26.