MANILA — The Barangay Ginebra Kings finally unleashed their bottled up firepower and defensive might to bag their first win in three games, beating the Philippine Cup champion San Miguel Beermen, 95-82, Sunday night in the PBA Commissioner's Cup at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum. The Beermen, who suffered an ignominious defeat at the hands of expansion club KIA Motors Carnival last Feb. 4, still appeared unable to shake off their championship hangover as they suffered another loss. The game featured two imports both seeking to bounce back from sub-par performances in their previous games. San Miguel Beer's Ronald Roberts finished with 32 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks to win his personal matchup with Barangay Ginebra's Michael Dunigan who chalked up still impressive figures of 29 points and 13 rebounds. However, Dunigan had more help from his teammates. Seven-footer Greg Slaughter finished with 18 points and six rebounds while Mark Caguioa collected 17 points, nine of them in the fourth quarter when the Kings broke away from a tight contest. Joseph Yeo added 11 markers, seven of them in the final period when he joined forces with Caguioa in a dazzling display of scintillating plays. In contrast, Roberts was the only Beerman in double-digit scoring. MVP June Mar Fajardo finished with just nine points, although he had 13 rebounds and four blocks. The Kings asserted their might early in the match, leading in double digits in the first half. But the Beermen managed to close the gap to within four, 75-71, in the fourth quarter. It was at this point when Caguioa and Yeo sparked Ginebra's run as the Kings padded their lead to 16 late in the final period to which the Beermen had no answer. Barako Bull 95, KIA Motors 86 The Barako Bull Energy sustained their remarkable run in the conference, getting win number 3 after spanking the upset-conscious but sloppy KIA Motors Carnival, 95-86. The Energy thus tied the Meralco Bolts and the Purefoods Star Hotshots at the top of the standings – their best start ever in a PBA conference. The Energy imposed their will right from the get-go but had to work extra hard in the final quarter when the Carnival, led by their behemoth 7'3” import PJ Ramos, unleashed a furious assault. Nigerian import Solomon Alabi nearly had a triple-double – tallying 26 points, 20 boards, and eight blocks – to pace the Energy. JC Intal ably backed up Alabi finishing with 18 points, four steals, and three rebounds. Chico Lanete added 10 points, two boards, two assists, and two steals. Barako Bull showed exceptional defensive tenacity by notching a season-high 13 steals. Ramos once again led the Carnival with 34 points, 17 of them in the fourth quarter when he imposed his size and strength in the paint to the fullest. Playing coach Manny Pacquiao rejoined his team but his inspirational presence was not enough for the Carnival to repeat their shocking victory over the San Miguel Beermen last week. KIA Motors thus suffered its third defeat in four outings. Games Tuesday: Meralco Bolts vs. Rain or Shine Elasto Painters and GlobalPort Batang Pier vs. Alaska Aces.
