Ginebra guards step up as Kings force Game 3

MANILA, Philippines – Junthy Valenzuela scored the go-ahead basket before Ronald Tubid sank the free throws that sealed Ginebra’s thrilling 91-88 win over San Miguel Friday night sending their KFC-PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinals series into a winner-take-all match. Trailing, 87-88, in the final 43 seconds of Game 2 of the best-of-three series at the Astrodome, Valenzuela drove past two San Miguel defenders to put the Kings in front for good. San Miguel rookie Bonbon Custodio then committed a crucial turnover, calling a timeout that the Beermen had already used up after failing to find the open man off an inbound play. That mistake paved the way for a Ginebra technical free throw which Tubid converted for a 90-88 Kings lead. “Kailangan namin itong panalo, do-or-die para sa amin ito (We badly need this win. Its do-or-die for us)," said Tubid later. He topscored for the Kings with 19 points and grabbed three rebounds, the last of which preserved Ginebra’s win with six seconds left following consecutive misses by Dondon Hontiveros at the other end in the Beermen’s attempt for the go-ahead basket. After collaring the defensive rebound, Tubid was sent to the foul line to stop the clock. The former UE guard split his free throws, but the Kings still run away with the win as Lordy Tugade’s desperation shot from 30-feet failed to find its mark. Game 3 of the best-of-three affair is set Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum. The Beermen took Game 1, 78-77. “We were just able to survive," said Ginebra coach Jong Uichico. “The players just never gave up after we lost that 18-point lead." The loss put to naught Hontiveros’ conference-high 35 points. Hontiveros’ hot outside shooting rallied the Beermen back from as much as an 18-point third quarter deficit (61-43). Back-to-back three-pointers by the 6-foot-2 guard from Cebu gave San Miguel an 85-82 lead, before Ginebra’s Jun Jun Cabatu answered with a trey of his own at the other end to tie the game for the last time. The Beermen last tasted the lead at 88-87 on a put back by Dorian Peña off his own missed. Hontiveros, whose previous conference high is 33 points he registered in his rookie year with Tanduay in 2000, went 3-of-5 from the three-point region. – GMANews.TV