By Jay R. Gotera
MANILA — The Barangay Ginebra Kings bounced back from a humbling Game 4 defeat to score an emphatic 117-92 victory over the defending champion San Miguel Beermen, thus barging into the finals of the PBA Governors Cup Tuesday night.
The Kings bundled off the Beermen, winning their semifinal series 3-2, and arranging a best-of-7 finals against the resurgent Meralco Bolts, which on Monday tossed out the TNT KaTropa. Game 1 of the finals is set Friday.
It will be the first championship fight between Ginebra and Meralco. The Kings will be making only their first finals appearance since the 2013 Commissioners Cup while the Bolts are in the finals for the first time in franchise history.
Import Justin Brownlee paced Ginebra with 26 points while rookie Scottie Thompson played his best game yet in the league, finishing with a career-high 24 points on top of 15 rebounds.
Sol Mercado also sizzled all night long for the Kings, racking up 22 points, including five three-pointers. LA Tenorio was just as explosive with 18 markers and 10 assists.
Ginebra was on fire from the get-go, zooming to a 33-12 lead after a 19-0 blast to end the first quarter.
The Kings boosted their lead to 25 points, 37-12, at the start of the second quarter.
The Beermen then woke up from a deep slumber and unleashed a ferocious 24-0 run of their own to cut the Kings’ lead to a point, 37-36.
Brownlee ended the Ginebra scoring drought with a three-pointer as the Kings regained the momentum, leading 45-38 at halftime.
The Ginebra import waxed even hotter in the third quarter where he scored 16 huge points. His two-handed slam with 2:57 left in the third gave the Kings a 22-point advantage, 72-50. Ginebra’s lead went up to 28 points, 81-53, at the end of the third.
The Kings simply cruised to victory in the fourth quarter to the delight of the jam-packed crowd celebrating one of their favorite team’s most unforgettable victories.
Game Friday: Barangay Ginebra vs. Meralco Bolts (Game 1; best-of-7 finals).
