ISINALPAK ni Christian Standhardinger ang game-winning shot at humabol ang Ginebra mula sa 18-point deficit upang gapiin ang San Miguel Beer sa Game 3 ng kanilang semifinals series, 87-85, at makabalik sa PBA Governors’ Cup finals nitong Miyerkoles sa Araneta Coliseum.
Tabla ang iskor sa 85-85, ibinigay ni Justin Brownlee kay Standhardinger ang perfect assist. Ipinasok ng Fil-German forward ang layup, may 4 segundo sa orasan, na nagbigay sa Gin Kings ng kalamangan.
Tinangka ni Marcio Lassiter na agawin ang panalo para sa Beermen subalit bigo siya sa kanyang jump shot.
Tinapos ng Ginebra ang best-of-five semifinal series via 3-0 sweep.
Umabante ang tropa ni coach Tim Cone sa championship round sa ika-5 pagkakataon sa huling anim na edisyon ng season-ending meet.
Makakasagupa ng Gin Kings ang mananalo sa Meralco at TNT.
Matapos ang runaway wins sa 121-112 at 121-103 sa unang dalawang laro, ang crowd darlings ay kinailangang maghabol sa buong laro.
“Certainly different from the first two games. Just real struggle,” sabi ni Cone makaraang maisagawa ang tila imposible – ang talunin ang malakas na SMB ng tatlong sunod sa five-game series.
“I was ready to give up on that one (3-0 sweep) at various times of the game. But the players wouldn’t quit. If I may borrow from coach Sonny (Jaworksi), it’s NSD, never-say-die, at its finest,” aniya.
“Every timeout, I was looking into their eyes, at their body language to see if they’re ready to pack it in and go fight on Friday. But I never saw it so I stayed with them. We made a couple of big shots and nice stops and before we knew it, we won the game,” dagdag pa niya.
Nagposte sina Brownlee (22 markers, 14 rebounds at 7 assists) at local aces Scottie Thompson (17-11) at Standhardinger (14-17) ng double-double numbers para sa Ginebra sa clincher.
CLYDE MARIANO
Iskor:
Ginebra (87) – Brownlee 22, Thompson 17, Standhardinger 14, Gray 13, Malonzo 12, Pinto 4, Pessumal 3, Mariano 2, Pringle 0.
San Miguel (85) – Clark 16, Perez 14, Lassiter 13, Cruz 12, Enciso 11, Tautuaa 6, Herndon 6, Ross 5, Manuel 2.
QS: 17-16, 38-50, 58-70, 87-85.
