Caguioa & Helterbrand 20/20 lead Kings to 3-0 bulge
ANTIPOLO -- The Caguioa-Helterbrand-Alexander combo continued to be a dish Red Bull had no answer for.
For a while, it appeared a pocket surprise in Topex Robinson would do it for Red Bull, but Mark Caguioa, Jayjay Helterbrand and Chris Alexander again stood on the Barakos' way.
Barangay Ginebra made a crucial 15-point swing in the third quarter and beat out Red Bull in a gripping endgame battle, eking out a 94-91win to move in the threshold of the 2008 Smart PBA Fiesta Conference Finals at the Ynares Center here Friday night.
With a commanding three-game-to-nil lead, the Kings have no less than four cracks at a finals seat, the first in Game Four Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum.
For Red Bull to salvage the series, the Barakos have to beat the Kings four in a row -- a feat no team in the rich history of the local pro league has ever done.
"With a 3-0 lead, we want to get it over with the soonest possible time. You don't want to make it difficult for yourself," said Ginebra coach Jong Uichico.
"Konting hilot na lang sa mga bata, and we really intend to do that dahil sigurado namang hindi basta-basta ibibigay sa amin ng Red Bull yan. We still have to continue doing what we've been doing right," Uichico added.
The Kings are now on a super hot 11-game romp, 3-0 in the semis boosted largely by the exploits of Mark Caguioa, Jayjay Helterbrand and Chris Alexander.
Caguioa and Helterbrand scored 20 points apiece while Alexander piled 16 rebounds, 13 points, four blocks and three assists as the Kings fended off the toughest challenge put up by the Barakos in the series so far.
Robinson was a key factor in Red Bull's tough stand as the pesky guard out of San Sebastian provided so much intensity and energy, coming through with 11 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals.
The Kings trailed by seven points early in the third but made a decisive run, surging ahead, 68-62, going into the final quarter.
In an eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation at the finish, Helterbrand, Caguioa and Alexander again took the challenge for the Kings, thus, eventually pushing the Barakos on a 0-3 hole.
Ginebra played the catch-up role most of the early goings, tying it up, 39-all, at the half on a six-point closing run by Helterbrand, Rafi Reavis and Junthy Valenzuela.
Helterbrand and Valenzuela combined for a 5-of-5 perfect shooting from beyond the arc, a big lift for the Kings who struggled with a mere 33.3-percent field-goal shooting in the first half.
Mick Pennisi, Rich Alvarez and Mike Hrabak combined for four treys. (NC)
The scores:
Ginebra 94 -- Caguioa 20, Helterbrand 20, Alexander 13, Artadi 9, Valenzuela 9, Reavis 9, Salvacion 8, Menk 6, Pacana 0, Mamaril 0.
Red Bull 91 -- Parada 19, Pennisi 18, Alvarez 15, Baguio 13, Robinson 11, Hrabak 5, Adriano 4, Duncil 2, Najorda 2, Cruz 2, Juntilla 0.
Quarterscores: 17-20, 39-39, 68-62, 94-91
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