The Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings and their fans sweat out Game 1, as the 91-87 victory came after a game-long back-and-forth that was filled with spurts and big plays from both sides.
The Meralco Bolts actually had a solid game plan by slowing the game down and trying to dictate the pace, which eventually led to a double-digit lead midway in the third quarter.
Staying true to their “Never Say Die” mantra, though, the Gin Kings slowly clawed their way back from the deficit, built off energy from the raucous Ginebra faithful, and went on to take back the lead and momentum in the fourth quarter.
Japeth Aguilar led the Ginebra locals with 16 points and some clutch defense. He blocked a potential game-tying drive from Allen Durham with under 12 seconds remaining.
LA Tenorio came up huge as well. The veteran floor general scored 14 points and smoked Meralco playmaker Baser Amer in a handful of one-on-one match-ups. Amer was left watching on the bench for much of the second half as a result.
Justin Brownlee was held without a field goal in the final period but his 18 points in the third quarter that kept his team within striking distance proved to be enough. The sweet-shooting import still finished with 36 points and 16 rebounds, and also knocked down four key free throws in the end to help seal the deal.
Tough loss for Meralco
In the loss, Meralco import Allen Durham only went 10-for-26 from the floor for 25 points. He made key baskets during crunch time but Ginebra’s defense ultimately succeeded in containing his attack. It didn’t help that he missed crucial foul shots in the fourth quarter.
Chris Newsome, through his explosive drives to the rim, paced all locals in scoring with 24 points, 17 of which came in the second half. Like Durham, though, he too bricked free throws when it mattered most.
It was a frustrating loss considering that they were one or two plays away from stealing the momentum, but how they respond in Game 2 will show how mentally strong they really are as a team.
Game 2 is on Friday, January 10th, at the Quezon Convention Center in Lucena City.
