By Jay R. Gotera
MANILA — The Barangay Ginebra Kings proved steadier in the clutches to beat the Star Hotshots, 93-86, in Game 4 of their PBA Philippine Cup semifinal series Wednesday night.
In a rare start, backup forward Jervy Cruz played the hero’s role in Ginebra’s second straight win, dishing out a team-high and season-best 21 points on top of six rebounds and three assists. His three-point play with 20.2 seconds left sealed the victory for the Kings.
The best-of-7 series is now tied at 2-2 with Game 5 set Friday night.
Japeth Aguilar also played a solid game, pumping in 18 points and grabbing 10 boards.
The Kings started strong, taking a 48-41 lead at halftime.
Misfiring in the first half, Paul Lee finally got going in the third quarter, scoring seven points in the period as the Hotshots grabbed the lead, 58-57. Lee, the hero of Star’s victories in Games 1 and 2, finished with just nine markers.
With the score tied at 60-all, the Kings scored five straight points to end the third period.
The Hotshots got plagued by foul troubles in the fourth quarter, making it more difficult for them to mount a rally. Lee was whistled for two quick fouls, with the last one his fifth, forcing coach Chito Victolero to bench him.
A technical foul was then called on Victolero for excessive complaining to the referees for what he thought was a missed travelling call.
Star’s Mark Barroca then fouled out, further dimming the Hotshots’ chances of getting back into the game.
The Kings capitalized on Star’s difficulties to build their biggest lead, 85-75, with 3:36 left.
Allein Maliksi was Star’s top scorer with 18 points while rookie Jio Jalalon finished with 16 markers. Rafi Reavis added 13 points.
SMB ties series at 2-2
Defensive stopper Chris Ross suddenly turned into an offensive monster, banging in a team-high and career-high 31 points to lead the San Miguel Beermen to a 97-86 victory over the TNT KaTropa Texters in Game 4 of their PBA Philippine Cup semifinal series Tuesday night.
Ross scored 18 of his points in the third quarter as the Beermen began to pull away. He drilled five three-pointers and also collected five rebounds and five assists in a stellar all-around performance.
The SMB win knotted the best-of-7 series at 2-2, turning the semis into a best-of-3 affair, with Game 5 set for Thursday.
June Mar Fajardo finished with a double-double 15 points and 15 boards for the Beermen.
Marcio Lassiter became more of a facilitator than a shooter, dishing out a team-high 10 assists. He added 12 points, including two triples.
Alex Cabagnot added another 12 markers while Gabby Espinas chipped in 10.
Larry Fonacier was the top scorer for TNT with 15 points. Jayson Castro added 13 while Mo Tautuaa and Kelly Williams chipped in 12 and 10 markers, respectively.
Game Thursday: San Miguel Beer vs. TNT KaTropa (Game 5; best-of-7 semifinals; Series tied 2-2).
