Source : AKTVIn their first meeting in the 2011-12 PBA Philippine Cup, the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings escaped by the skin of their teeth in a thrilling overtime affair against the Shopinas.com Clickers.
But in their rematch Saturday in Tubod, Lanao del Norte, Ginebra made sure there was no excitement, taking the fight out of Shopinas early in the game en route to a 92-79 victory.
The final score indicated a game closer than it actually was, with Ginebra leading by as much as 27 points, 59-32, on two free throws by KG Canaleta early in the third quarter. Extended garbage time allowed Shopinas to cut the lead down late in the game, even as each player fielded in by Ginebra was able to score in the game.
The Clickers looked psyched to start the match, opening with a 9-2 lead. But Ginebra was able to right the ship soon after, as a Jayjay Helterbrand jumper evened the score at 16-all.
Ginebra did not look back since, taking a 20-18 lead to end the opening period. Things got out of hand for Shopinas in the second quarter, as it was outscored by Ginebra, 33-12, allowing the Gin Kings to take a commanding 53-30 halftime lead.
Willy Wilson led Ginebra’s balanced attack with 12 points and nine rebounds. Canaleta and Helterbrand chipped in 12 and 10 points, respectively, while Enrico Villanueva, Yancy de Ocampo, and John Wilson scored nine points each for the Gin Kings.
Sweet-shooting guard RJ Jazul topped Shopinas with 11 points, while Dennis Daa, James Sena, and Khasim Mirza added 10 points apiece.
The victory comes as a much-needed stabilizer for the Gin Kings, which has been wracked by all kinds of issues. The team had lost two straight games coming into its matchup with Shopinas, and superstar guard Mark Caguioa came out on radio last week blasting the coaching staff, who were advocating for rebuilding the squad. On Friday, San Miguel Corporation official Noli Eala wrote about an impending Ginebra trade on his Twitter account, causing frenzied speculation on the Internet among fans of the league’s crowd darlings.
Ginebra improved its win-loss record to an even 4-4, while Shopinas got handed its ninth loss in as many games in its maiden PBA conference.
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