Ginebra heats up late to stop Mahindra
Barangay Ginebra broke loose from the tight game in the second half and blasted Mahindra, 89-70, to once again hit the .500 mark in the PBA Philippine Cup elimination round at the Smart Araneta Coliseum
Friday night.
Dragged to a defensive battle in the first half, the Kings persevered until they picked up a good rhythm and subsequently rampaged past the Floodbuster to gain a piece of sixth place with Alaska Milk, Meralco
and Star at 2-2.
Running out of fuel and energy in the second half, the Floodbuster stayed winless in five starts.
“First half was such a struggle. We’re trying something new and we’re struggling with it,” said Ginebra coach Tim Cone. “In the second half, we got something good going, and it opened opportunity for our young
guys.”
Chris Ellis, Joe Devance and LA Tenorio got going in the third period, building momentum for the Gin Kings after they struggled badly in the first half.
After opening a 55-47 lead in the third, the Kings kept going en route to the huge 19-point triumph.
Mahindra made Ginebra to bleed for points in throwing different defensive looks.
Dragged to a defensive battle, the Kings scored only 14 points in the opening quarter and 18 in the second for a measly 32-27 lead at the half.
The Floodbuster had their offensive flurries, including a 12-to-nothing roll that gave them a 16-14 lead at the start of the second period.
Reden Celda fired a buzzer-beating trey to close the first quarter then Ryan Arana had his own three-pointer to start the second period.
But then the Kings started to pull away in the third, starring Devance, Ellis and Tenorio.
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