In a game they had nothing to gain, the Barangay Ginebra Kings could have just gone through the motion, but they didn’t.
It’s a triumph of spirit the Kings bounced back from a frustrating loss the last time out, whipping the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, 99-88, in the penultimate playdate of the PBA Philippine Cup eliminations at the Araneta Coliseum Sunday.
Already the third seed in the playoffs win or lose, Ginebra refused to relax, dealing Rain or Shine a loss that eased the Elasto Painters out of the fight for the Top Six.
At 5-8, the Elasto Painters can only finish seventh or eighth at the close of the elims Wednesday. They play the Meralco Bolts B-Boys at 7:30 p.m. also at the Big Dome.
The Kings wound up with a 10-4 card, going up against either the Bolts, the Air21 Express and the Alaska Milk Aces in a best-of-three quarterfinals series.
“The priority was to try things and, of course, to win para mataas ang morale going into the quarters,” said Ginebra coach Jong Uichico.
“We didn’t know the scenarios. We’d no control over the results of the other games. Sabi namin laban lang. It’s refining (of our game) and reminding (the players of things we have to do),” Uichico added.
The Kings came out fighting, pulled away in the third quarter and fended off the Rain or Shine charge at the finish.
Willie Miller, Ronald Tubid, Mark Caguioa and Rudy Hatfield put in at least 13 points each, spearheading the Ginebra bid against a Rain or Shine team minus top gun Sol Mercado.
The energetic Fil-Am guard sat out the game on doctor’s advice.
Miller scored 11 of his 19 points in the third quarter, leading a fiery assault that had Ginebra cutting loose from a tight game.
The first half was a dogfight with no team leading by more than seven.
The Kings got a 37-30 cushion on an eight-to-nothing run but the Elasto Painters were quick to respond, making it close again at 36-38.
Rudy Hatfield went perfect from the field and the stripe for eight points while Ronald Tubid converted two of three three-point tries and totaled nine points for the Kings in the first 24 minutes of play.
Tyrone Tang was topscorer for Rain or Shine with eight points in the first half marked by two deadlocks and nine lead changes. (SB)
The scores:
Ginebra 99 – Miller 19, Tubid 16, Caguioa 16, Hatfield 13, De Ocampo 8, Villanueva 7, Aquino 6, Wilson 6, Helterbrand 4, Mamaril 2, Menk 2, Cruz 0, Cortez 0.
