Ex-cellardwellers now join logjam at 2nd

BARANGAY Ginebra's charge is far from being over.

That after the Kings fashioned a 116-109 victory over Purefoods Sunday for its sixth straight win and move into a tie for second place in the Motolite PBAFiesta Conference at the Araneta Coliseum.

David Noel scored a gamehigh 30 points on top of 11 rebounds and Jayjay Helterbrand 20 points to lead a balanced contribution from the locals that enabled Ginebra to muster a one surge after another that staked it to three 10-point leads that proved too much for Purefoods.

“Mabuti nakaka-stay in close with the leader of this conference, lalo na't napapagtatalo ang ibang mga teams,” said Kings coach Jong Uichico after his team improved to a 7-5 win-loss record that tied them with their victim, Burger King and idle Rain or Shine.

That slate is just behind San Miguel Beer, owner of the tournament's best streak at eight.

“As things are now, every game is important dahil maliit lang ang diperensiya ng mga teams,” he added.

“Kaya kailangan every time we have to play A-game dapat ang dinadala.”

Purefoods fought grittily but in the end it was Ginebra's ability to string up more telling runs that spelled the big difference in the game that had 12 deadlocks and 13 lead changes before a Mother's Day crowd of 13,668.

PJ Simon and Kerby Raymundo tried to pick up the scoring cudgels by scoring 23 and 21, respectively, on a day in which Purefoods drew little from Marquin Chandler in the endgame.

The one-time Best Import finished with 21 points, 18 rebounds and six assists but missed free throws and came up with bricks just when the Giants were trying to overcome deficits of 95-105 and 108-98.

In contrast, Helterbrand was a pillar of consistency for Ginebra with nine fourth quarter points, including the team's last four points off charities.

Cyrus Baguio, Billy Mamaril and Eric Menk also boosted the Kings to a 96-86 spread following a 7-3 run starting the fourth period.

Purefoods did not easily give up the ghost, grittily plodding on to raze two six-point deficits, the last at 89-83 at the end of the third period after Baguio and Noel each had a triple that sparked and fueled a Ginebra run from the game's last tie at 78.

It was practically the same tale woven in the early goings.

JC Intal's followup and Menk's four points enabled Ginebra to take a 62-56 halftime lead in a game which had 10 deadlocks and nine lead changes in the first half alone.

It was Noel, however, who was at the forefront of the Kings' second-quarter attack by scattering 14 of his 18 points.

Yap and Raymundo each had 10 at the half, with the former adding seven rebounds and the latter also having six assists, one better than Chandler's who also scored nine points and six boards.

Helterbrand and Intal pointed Ginebra in the right direction by combining for 15 points in the first quarter which the perennial crowd favorites took, 28-25. (NCo)

The scores:

Ginebra 116 – Noel 30, Helterbrand 20, Menk 14, Mamaril 12, Tubid 11, Baguio 11, Intal 9, Reavis 6, Lanete 3, Artadi 0.

Purefoods 109 – Simon 23, Chandler 21, Raymundo 21, Villanueva 15, Yap, J. 13, Adducul 8, Canaleta 5, Cruz 3, Salvador 0, Alvarez 0, Robinson 0,.

Quarters: 28-25, 62-56, 89-83, 116-109


Source: http://www.pba.ph/content/view/2623/1/