Beermen halt Kings’ rally for 2-0 lead

For San Miguel Beer, it helped last night that coach Chot Reyes knows so well that Rafi Reavis is a poor free throw shooter. Reavis had been his player in Coke and the RP team.

San Miguel Beer gambled on sending Reavis to the line at endgame and reaped good dividends, making it two in a row over Barangay Ginebra, 104-101, in their Talk n Text PBA Philippine Cup best-of-seven title playoff at the Araneta Coliseum.

Reavis actually muffed not only two free throws but a three-pointer with the game on the line in the closing seconds, allowing the Beermen to successfully follow up on their 118-94 victory in Game One Friday.

"It was a product of intense discussion and, in the end, our decision was to let Rafi shoot from the stripe," said Reyes. "We didn’t want to give a three-pointer. We figured out that if he makes both shots, we still have a chance."

The Beermen put Reavis in the pressure-cooker after Danny Seigle scored on a backdoor play with Olsen Racela, pushing San Miguel ahead, 101-99, with 24 ticks to go.

A 53-percent free throw shooter, Reavis did succumb to pressure, then San Miguel gained more breathing room on a charity by Seigle in the ensuing play.

A lay-up by Rudy Hatfield followed by a split from the stripe by Willie Wilson gave Ginebra a chance to send the game into overtime with 12.2 seconds left.

Alas, the ball again went to Reavis who was all alone in the right flank. The 6-foot-7 Fil-Am forward opted to take a trey which went a bit strong, enabling the Beermen to gain a two-game-to-zero lead in the series.

"Two-zero is nothing. If we get another win, then we have a better chance," said Reyes, who has experienced bungling such a lead while still with the Coca-Cola Tigers playing the Talk n Text Phone Pals for the 2003 All-Filipino crown.

San Miguel dominated the first three quarters with Seigle, Dondon Hontiveros and Lordy Tugade at the forefront of their attack. Seigle scattered 31 points, Hontiveros added 22 and Tugade chipped in 19.

Racela contributed 11, including a three-pointer he made after Ginebra closed in at 95-96 with time down to 1:35.

But the contest boiled down to a free-throw shooting in the end.

"In a battle between two evenly matched teams, it came down to free throws. And that’s the way the game is played – to put the ball on the hole," said Reyes.

"We can do everything but in the end, the team which puts the ball in the cylinder will win," Reyes added.