Rafi Reavis dealt M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala its second straight painful defeat against a PBA team, sinking a mid-range jumper with eight-tenths of a second left to help the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings survive the Jewelers, 92-90, on Monday night in their exhibition game at the jam-packed Cebu Coliseum.The Jewelers, who lost to the Talk ‘N Text Phone Pals on January 21, 101-97, rallied from double-digit deficits and tied the contest at 90-all in the final 12.2 seconds on two free throws by Woodrow Enriquez. Coming off a timeout, the Kings inbounded the ball to Reavis at the midcourt. Guarded by Marlon Basco, Reavis dribbled the time away and drove to his right. The ball was partially deflected away from his hands but the lanky center managed to recover the leather before pulling up for the game-winning basket. Out of timeout, Stephen Padilla was forced to launch a long shot that hit nothing but air, sealing the Jewelers' downfall. The Kings had a balanced attack with five players scoring in double figures and four others scoring at least six points. Reavis only had four markers but made the biggest basket of the night. Rodney Santos topped the Kings with 13 points, Ronald Tubid added 11, while Sunday Salvacion, Alex Crisano and Victor Pablo contributed 10 apiece. Import Michael Jamaar Le Blanc had a decent outing for the Jewelers, firing a game-high 25 points on an eight-of-17 shooting from the field. The biggest disappointment of Le Blanc's game is his defense and his stamina as he was probably affected by the venue's humid atmosphere. BOX SCORES
BARANGAY GINEBRA (92)- Santos 13, Tubid 11, Pablo 10, Salvacion 10, Crisano 10, Menk 8, Mamaril 6, Macapagal 6, Pacana 6, Reavis 4, Abarrientos 3, Aquino 3, Escalona 2.
M.LHUILLIER (90)- Le Blanc 25, Dacia 21, Enriquez 19, Basco 9, Padilla 7, Capati 5, Cavan 2.
QUARTERSCORES: 21-17, 44-35, 68-61, 92-90. /Correspondent Calvin D. Cordova |
