In front of the biggest crowd of the tournament, Mark “The Spark” Caguioa shone brightest
The Kings almost squandered a 15-point fourth-quarter cushion, but held on behind the outside snippings of reigning MVP Mark Caguioa.
The Barangay Ginebra San Miguel superstar scored 25 points, including
two huge three-pointers in the last two minutes, to lead the Gin Kings
to a 96-88 victory over the San Mig Coffee Mixers in their Manila
Clasico showdown Sunday at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.Two-time league MVP James Yap carried the reigning champion Mixers on his shoulders and engaged Caguioa in a virtual shootout entering the stretch run of the match the Kings dominated all the way..
The win gave the Gin Kings its second win in seven games, coming against their traditional rivals in front of a wild crowd of 16,617.
“Pinakita lang ni Mark Caguioa na he’s still Mark Caguioa,” said Ginebra coach Alfrancis Chua.
But Caguioa did not do it alone. LA Tenorio quarterbacked the squad masterfully, finishing with 12 points and 13 assists.
“Malaking isda ‘tong nahuli namin,” said Chua.
“They’re taller, they’re stronger than us. Pero mas malaki ang puso nila sa kalaban.”
Import Vernon Macklin added 20 points and 16 rebounds for Ginebra while providing the energy for the squad.
“Gusto siya ng mga players because of his fighting heart,” said Chua. “Yung mga ganun masarap kasama sa laban.”
Ginebra got key contributions from role players Billy Mamaril, who scored 13 points, and Chris Ellis, who added 11.
Denzel Bowles led the fight for San Mig Coffee with 25 points and 16 rebounds, while James Yap added 21.
The loss snapped San Mig Coffee’s three-game winning streak. The Mixers’ win-loss record fell to 3-4.
The scores:
GINEBRA 96 – Caguioa 25, Macklin 20, Mamaril 13, Tenorio 12, Ellis 11, Raymundo 6, Labagala 4, Baracael 4, Maierhofer 1.
SAN MIG COFFEE 88 – Bowles 25, Yap 21, Devance 13, Pingris 11, Mallari 4, Barroca 4, Simon 4, De Ocampo 4, Najorda 2, Gaco 0.
Quarters: 24-17, 48-35, 67-58, 96-88
