Defense wins games and the Ginebra Kings brought plenty of it as they edged out the Singapore Slingers 77-72.
By Vincent Lai
Small forward Mark Caguioa top-scored for Ginebra with 24 points, with the athletic guard Ronald Tubid adding 15 points and six rebounds.
Kyle Jeffers led the Slingers with 20 points and 10 rebounds, while Michael Leblanc, making his Challenge Series debut, added 19 points and 12 rebounds of his own.
Ginebra started the game swarming on D, clogging up the lanes, closing the channels and helping each other on the perimeter.
Every time Singapore guards Al Vergara or Hong Wei Jian drove into the paint, the smaller lineup of the Kings descended on the invader, often coming up with a steal or deflection.
The defence fuelled their running game, leading to easy points on the break. Mark Caguioa led the Kings with seven points in the first period.
Singapore had a harder time coming by points in the half-court set, but still managed to score through Kyle Jeffers and three-pointers from Vergara, Wei Long and Wei Jian, led to a 19-17 finish of the first quarter, advantage Ginebra.
The Slingers' usual surge at the beginning of the second quarter failed to materialise as the Kings continued to clamp on defence. Ginebra managed to continue their first quarter lockdown as Singapore were shackled for a good five minutes.
However, Ginebra's enthusiasm on the defensive end may have been a two-edged sword, as Enrico Villanueva picked up two quick fouls that led to the Kings' faithful jeering in unison. Hong stepped up sank a smooth trey after Villanueva's infraction.
The teams then exchanged baskets as Ginebra began to tire and the Slingers finding their range, the opposite of their game with the Smart Gilas Pilipinas.
However, the Kings did not panic after going behind a Vergara go-ahead three with three minutes to go, their veteran savvy showing as they worked the rock round the perimeter to find Caguioa open for a trey.
The Slingers went into halftime with a 40-34 lead, behind Leblanc's efficient 14 points in the second period on 75% shooting, all within the offence without a play called for him.
Singapore returned to the floor with an emphasis on slowing down the game, running the offence through Jeffers as the Slingers tried to cut down on their turnovers. Jeffers scored six points in the third.
The Kings countered by giving Eric Menk, Billy Mamaril and Ronald Tubid license in the post. With Tubid lighting up Michael Wong for eight points as the quarter wore on.
Ginebra also relied on Villanueva for the third, as the burly forward went to work.
Slingers coach Frank Arsego was forced to call a timeout with two minutes to go in the third to cool off Tubid's offensive explosion, and also inserted Vergara back into the game.
‘Big shot' Al return to the game paid instant dividends as he drilled a three-pointer to cut the deficit to 54-53, and he ran Singapore's offence to perfection as he found Marcus Ng on a backdoor cut to give the Slingers the lead.
Ng was fouled on the final possession of the third quarter and sank both freethrows to give the Arsego's men a 57-54 lead.
Kings coach Jong Uiohico called a timeout with 1.8 seconds left to draw a play for a buzzer beater, but Ronald Tubid missed the half-court fling by just a little.
Ng came to life in the fourth, as he starting taking the ball to he hoop to lead the Slingers on the charge. Singapore's ASEAN heritage player also drew a charge on Tupid, much to the ire of the Kings and their fans.
The offensive foul may have lit a flame under Ginebra as they roared back into the game, revving up their defence as they feasted on Singapore's turnovers to lead 73-65 with less than five minutes to go.
Singapore was down 75-70 with 23 seconds left when Kyle Jeffers received the ball in the post. The Slingers center took the ball to the basket, but was pummeled in the back by Kings point guard Celino Cruz as he went up for the shot. Words were exchanged and a fistcuff almost broke out but both teams quickly put it out. Jeffers missed the ensuing freethrows.
The Slingers started fouling to stop the clock after Jeffers' missed pair but they could not close the gap as they fell 77-72 in the end.
source: http://www.espnstar.com/other-sports/news/detail/item331770/Singapore-Slingers-72-77-Ginebra-Kings/
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