King-size win: Ginebra whips Star, returns to final

MANILA, Philippines - Barangay Ginebra completed a come-from-behind Final Four triumph over Star, 89-76, and set up a duel of champs with San Miguel Beer expected to be gut-wrenching in the finale of the 2017 PBA Philippine Cup.

The Kings rode the momentum of their 91-67 win in Game Six and pulled off the wire-to-wire victory to earn a second straight PBA finals stint before their cheering fans at the MOA Arena last night.

Sol Mercado, LA Tenorio, Japeth Aguilar and Scottie Thompson all played key roles to power the Kings past the Hotshots and into the finals versus the Beermen – a rematch of their Governors Cup best-of-seven semifinal showdown last year.

The Kings, chasing a rare back-to-back championship, and the Beermen, gunning for a Philippine Cup three-peat, start their titular playoff Friday at the same Pasay City playing venue.

The Kings seized the initiative early and were relentless in their offensive thrust over the scrappy Hotshots and moved into the final where they hope to end a 10-year Philippine Cup title drought.

Mercado and Tenorio scored 23 and 21 points, respectively, and delivered the clutch plays to quell the Hotshots’ last stand in the payoff period.

“It was a tough seven-game series but our guys did a good job pushing and pushing,” said Ginebra coach Tim Cone.

“We had to keep on pushing. I reminded the guys of Game Six where we fell behind,” Cone added.

Aguilar provided the firepower early on and finished with 19 points and five rebounds while Thompson energized the Kings with incisive plays, contributing 10 points, nine rebounds, two steals and one assist.

He also gave credit to the tremendous boost they got from the crowd and Jervy Cruz’s role as he filled in for the injury-stricken Joe Devance.

“For me, Jervy is the MVP of the series for stepping up in the absence of Joe,” said Cone.

“There was a time I felt that we didn’t have it anymore. We’re dragging in practice and I can feel it. But then when we enter the court and hear the crowd. The fans did it for us,” Cone said. “Tonight, there’s also the sudden chant of ‘Ja-wors-ki, Ja-wors-ki.’ It also got us going.”

Former star Robert Jaworski, the man behind Ginebra’s glorious runs in the 80s to 90s, was part of the huge Game Seven crowd.