Ginebra blows out Blackwater despite Aguilar’s early exit

By Jay R. Gotera MANILA - The Barangay Ginebra Kings lost main man Japeth Aguilar to injury but still had enough firepower to turn back the resurgent Blackwater Elite, 99-90, in the PBA Philippine Cup on Friday night. Aguilar appeared to have suffered a hyperextended right elbow in the second quarter after a dunk. He was not fielded back and finished with 14 points. With their top scorer and rebounder gone, the other Kings stepped up with LA Tenorio top-scoring with 15 points. But it was Scottie Thompson who stood tallest for Ginebra. The sophomore played a brilliant all-around game, finishing with 13 points, 15 huge rebounds, seven assists and two steals. Joe Devance and Dave Marcelo added 13 markers apiece. It was a huge win for the Kings who improved to a 5-4 win-loss card, joining three other teams—TNT, Phoenix, and Rain or Shine—at third to sixth place in the standings. The Elite slid to solo seventh with a 5-5 record. The Kings appeared set for a blowout victory after erecting a 55-40 lead early in the third quarter. But Blackwater’s Roi Sumang and Raymond Aguilar led a furious 11-2 run that tied the game at 82-all in the fourth quarter. But the Kings regrouped and retaliated with their own 11-2 burst to take a nine-point lead, 93-84, with 4:43 left on the road to victory. Sumang led the Elite with 20 points while Raymond Aguilar added 16 markers, including four three-pointers. Super-rookie Mac Belo chipped in with 16 points. Meralco 82, Rain or Shine 72 The Meralco Bolts finally showed some semblance of the team that reached the finals in the last Governors Cup, beating the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, 82-72, to snap a six-game losing streak. It was only the Bolts’ third win in 10 games with one game left in their elimination round schedule—against the Star Hotshots (4-4) on Jan. 28. Meralco is now at 10th place in the standings, with a slim chance of entering the playoffs featuring the top eight teams. But its fate now depends on how the other teams progress. The Painters missed their chance of clinching a quarterfinal berth and fell to a four-team tie for third to sixth place, carrying the same 5-4 win-loss card as Phoenix, TNT and Ginebra. The Bolts came out on fire from the get-go, taking advantage of ROS’ miserable shooting. The Painters made just 26 of 84 shots for a miserable 31 percent shooting clip from the field. Chris Newsome led Meralco with 19 points, six assists, and four rebounds, while Cliff Hodge added a double-double 17 markers and 16 boards plus four blocks. Jonathan Uyloan was 4-of-10 from beyond the three-point arc, with his last triple in the final minute sealing the victory for Meralco. He finished with 14 points, six rebounds, four assists and four steals. Rabeh Al-Hussaini added 10 points and five boards for the Bolts. James Yap paced Rain or Shine with 17 points, four rebounds and three assists. Jewel Ponferrada was the only other Painter in double digits with 11 markers and seven boards. Game Saturday: GlobalPort Batang Pier vs. San Miguel Beer.