Barangay Ginebra thwarts Meralco, still undefeated in the 2014 PBA Governors’ Cup
After giving the Globalport Batang Pier an 89-71 beating to open up their campaign in the 2014 PBA Governors’ Cup, all eyes are on the Barangay Ginebra Kings, anticipating whether this latest edition of the team is indeed for real and that their losing ways are a thing of the past.
All it took was the outcome of BGK’s next match to know the answer.
If the first game was meant to bring the team back into the PBA fold, then the second one is a sign of big things to come for the Barangay Ginebra Kings.
Utilizing the triangle offense to the hilt complimented with suffocating defense, the Gin Kings walloped the hapless Meralco Bolts, 95-82, for their second straight triumph under new coach Jeffrey Cariaso.
Although the Bolts jumped the gun on them early, leading 28-18 at the end of the first 12 minutes, the Gin Kings never flinched nor wailed. Instead, they continued to execute the intricacies of the Bermuda which led to a couple of scoring runs before halftime. And just like that, the Gin Kings snatched a 46-43 lead at the break and never looked back, largely in part to Greg Slaughter’s 1st half numbers of 13 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks.
Despite having an import with an impressive NBA resume, Meralco was not able to squeeze enough game out of Terrence Williams to help with their struggles. His bad selection of shots notwithstanding, Williams was likewise listless on defense and ran off his mouth to the referees when he’s not jacking up ill-advised jumpers. He would go on to finish with a team-high 26 markers but on an atrocious 7/24 shooting from the field . On the other hand, his counterpart Zaccheus Mason registered 24 and 14 at the end of the third quarter alone. Mason would eventually finish with 32 points and 19 boards at the final whistle.
In the end, Barangay Ginebra’s sound offense and stingy defense were simply too much for the Bolts to overcome. Sure, there was the occasional Gary David bucket, Cliff Hodge triple or Reynel Hugnatan jumphook but all these were negated by the near flawless game of the Gin Kings on both sides of the floor.
While there might still be some birth pains in applying this new offensive blueprint, this victory nonetheless signifies that Barangay Ginebra is getting back to its winning tradition as well as being back in the hearts of its legions of fans. Meanwhile, it’s back to the drawing board for coach Ryan Gregorio and the Bolts as they continue with the quest for that elusive first win.
Photo c/o Nuki Sabio (PBA Images)
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