Games today
Cuneta Astrodome
3:00 p.m.- San Miguel vs. GlobalPort
5:15 p.m.- Star Hotshots vs. Meralco
Just when everybody thought the Barangay Ginebra Kings were back in the groove, the team once again faltered, losing to the erstwhile winless Blackwater Elite, 77-83, yesterday in an out-of-town game of the 40th PBA Governors’ Cup at the Dipolog City Sports Center.
Blackwater ended a three-game slide, finally breaking into the win column by pouncing on the Kings’ crucial mistakes and misses in the final minute.
Blackwater put up a tough defensive stand in the endgame, holding the Kings scoreless in the final 1:04 with import Marcus Douthit, Eddie Laure and Brian Heruela making critical free throws to ice the win.
Douthit, who scored 24 points, also did a splendid job of defending Ginebra import Orlando Johnson, who could only score 30 points after averaging a staggering 47.6 points in his first three games .
Douthit pulled off a big defensive stop when he blocked Johnson in the final 45 seconds and the Elite protecting a precarious 78-77 lead.
Douthit then hit two crucial freebies in the next play, giving Blackwater an 80-77 lead with 23.9 remaining.
Heruela came up with his own crucial defensive stop, when he stole an inbounds pass by Sol Mercado to Dorian Pena.
Heruela preserved the win for the Elite by sinking two free throws with 18.2 seconds left in the clock.
Still missing the services of Japeth Aguilar, Greg Slaughter and Chris Ellis, Ginebra lost again after pulling off a 105-98 win over Kia Carnival last Wednesday, a win that stopped the Kings’ two-game slide.
Bam Gamalinda and Reil Cervantes gave Blackwater the needed local scoring with 18 and 14 points, respectively.
BOX SCORES:
BLACKWATER (83)- Douthit 24, Gamalinda 18, Cervantes 14, Laure 7, Heruela 5, Acuña 5, Erram 4, Salvacion 3, Celiz 2, Bulawan 1, Reyes 0.
GINEBRA (77) – Johnson 30, Tenorio17, Mercado 10, Brondial 7, Urbiztondo 5, Marcelo 4, Sanchir 2, Helterbrand 2, Caguioa 0, Peña 0, Baracael 0, Monfort 0. QUARTER SCORES: 16-21; 37-36; 62-60; 83-77.
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