PBA: Caguioa sparks late, carries Ginebra past GlobalPort

(Updated 10:33pm) After the young guns of GlobalPort erased a 19-point deficit, Mark Caguioa decided it was time for him to show the rookies how things are done in the PBA.

Mark Caguioa displayed his MVP form in the clutch to quash GlobalPort Batang Pier's fourth quarter rally, powering Barangay Ginebra San Miguel to a 109-104 victory in the 2014 PLDT MyDSL Philippine Cup, on Thursday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Spearheaded by rookie phenom Terrence Romeo, Batang Pier kicked off the fourth quarter with a 25-8 run to knot the game at 91 apiece with five minutes remaining. The  veteran Caguioa however detonated for 13 of his team's next 15 points to put the game on ice in the final minute, 106-98.

Caguioa's 14 fourth quarter points netted him a team-high 28 markers to go with four assists. 2013 first overall pick Greg Slaughter notched a third straight double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Japeth Aguilar added 18 points and six rebounds, while JJ Helterbrand added 11 points and four rebounds. LA Tenorio registered 15 points, five rebounds, nine assists and two steals.

After the game, Ginebra head coach Ato Agustin reaffirmed that despite the personnel changes to the Barangay, it remained Caguioa's team. "Malaki parin ang ano ni Mark, siya parin yung nag-take over sa huli,"  he said.

Agustin though rued that his team let go of themselves and made it a a closer affair than it had to be. "At the start of the third quarter nakita kong nag-relax sila ng konti. Ayaw na nilang tumawag ng play at nagkanya-kanya na," he added. Fortunately for him, Ginebra delivered when they needed it most, and Agustin credited his team's pick and roll execution in the fourth quarter.

The Ginebra mentor also had some words of praise for Romeo, who tormented them with his scintillating scoring. "He's a good player, talagang scorer eh. He can do a lot of things, marunong siyang pumasa and he can shoot. Magaling, magaling na bata," he finished.

The Barangay stayed in step with sister team Petron Blaze Boosters at the top of the standings with identical 3-0 records. The Batang Pier on the other hand took a step back to 1-2, tying the idle Meralco Bolts.

GlobalPort struggled to get offensive production from anyone besides isolation baskets from Jay Washington and Terrence Romeo, as the pair accounted for 10 points early on. In contrast, Ginebra's offense flowed freely as every Gin King starter scored in the first seven minutes, paced by eight points from Mark Caguioa. Ginebra enjoyed a 20-6 stretch of frenetic basketball before Sol Mercado and Jaypee Belencion had twin makes to end the first for the Batang Pier, trailing 28-17.

Ginebra's reserve unit couldn't sustain their momentum in the second quarter. While scoring on stray baskets, they allowed Washington and company to trim their lead to 36-25 on an RR Garcia drive, midway through the period.

The Barangay called a timeout, and reinstalled their crisp offensive execution. While Mercado scored or assisted on Batang Pier's next seven points, Tenorio replied with huge buckets for himself and facilitated good looks for his teammates. Ginebra went on a 13-7 tear, culminating in a put-back slam by Chris Ellis with two minutes remaining. Both teams exchanged blows until the halftime buzzer, when Ginebra contented themselves with a 56-38, score, a point shy of their 52-33 zenith.

The Batang Pier clawed at the lead in the third quarter, as Ginebra struggled to contain Washington and Romeo's relentless incursions in the lane. GlobalPort was able to contain the Barangay on the other end, forcing them into questionable shots or misses from the line. The fatigue-less Romeo cruised to the basket off a turnover to put the finishing touches on a 19-10 rally, 57-65.

Fortunately for them, Ginebra snapped to their senses, and settled down on the offensive end during the final five minutes. Emman Monfort distributed the ball for three-pointers while putting his collegiate center Greg Slaughter in positions to score or draw fouls. The pair compiled 13 points during a 17-9 swing to end the third quarter, 83-66.

Ginebra fell complacent in the fourth quarter, and GlobalPort exploited their lax defense. The Batang Pier hammered them with three-pointers, while Garcia and Romeo plunged repeatedly into the heart of the defense. Ginebra managed just three baskets in the first seven minutes, while a fast break layup by Mercado iced a 25-8 GlobalPort assault to tie the game at 91 apiece.

With under four minutes left, Romeo left the defense in the dust with a strong move to the basket to give GlobalPort their first lead in the game, 93-91. Caguioa replied with a three-pointer over Romeo to hand the lead back to Ginebra. Romeo was subbed out a few possessions later, and Batang Pier's offense floundered while Caguioa took charge. The former MVP went on to score 13 of their next 15 points, raining three triples and an and-one to finally bury Batang Pier, 106-98, with 40 seconds to go.

Ginebra finished with a 38-of-79 (48.1 percent) shooting clip from the field, while GlobalPort went 40-of-91 (44 percent). The Barangay though had a clear advantage at the line with a 24-of-36 clip (67 percent) against their opponents' 15-of-24 (62.5 percent) mark.

GlobalPort led in turnover points, 23-11.

Terrence Romeo logged a team-high 27 points on 11-of-16 shooting from the field, while Jay Washington provided 23 points and six rebounds. RR Garcia tallied 20 points, while Marvin Hayes and Sol Mercado scattered 10 points each. Mercado also secured six boards. - AMD, GMA News


The scores:

Ginebra 109 - Caguioa 29, Aguilar 18, Slaughter 17, Tenorio 15, Helterbrand 11, Ellis 6, Monfort 6, Ababou 3, Reyes 2, Urbiztondo 2, Baracael 0, Mamaril 0, Forrester 0

GlobalPort 104 - Romeo 27, Washington 23, Garcia 20, Hayes 10, Mercado 10, Chua 8, Lingganay 3, Belencion 2, Salvador 1, Menk 0, Ponferrada 0, Najorda 0

Quarter scoring: 28-17, 56-38, 83-66, 109-104