Missing Rock ‘N’ Roll

Meralco’s long-limbed Raymond Almazan went down with a banged-up left knee early in the first quarter of Game 3 of the PBA Governors Cup finals and never returned to the floor, clearing the way for Barangay Ginebra to carve out a 92-84 decision at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last Sunday.

Ginebra’s victory was crucial because it gave coach Tim Cone a 2-1 lead in the best-of-7 series. According to PBA chief statistician Fidel Mangonon, league history shows that the team ahead 2-1 in a best-of-7 series, including the finals, has a 67 percent probability of clinching. But if Almazan played the full route in Game 3, could the outcome have been different? How much did Meralco miss the late rocker Pepe Smith’s look-alike?

In Game 1, Almazan shot 9-of-13 from the floor and compiled 20 points in 35:40 minutes. He also grabbed 11 rebounds. In Game 2, Almazan hit 7-of-12 from the field and scored 15 points in 34:21 minutes. He hauled down nine rebounds. In Game 3, he had only two points and two rebounds in 6:05 minutes before leaving. Cliff Hodge and Bryan Faundo got coach Norman Black’s nod to fill in for Almazan in Game 3 but they couldn’t match what the Bolts lost. Almazan averaged 17.5 points and 10 rebounds in the first two games. Hodge and Faundo combined for 12 points and eight rebounds in Game 3.

More than Almazan’s stats, what Black missed from his absence was the 6-7 frontliner’s defense on Justin Brownlee. Black throws a lot of defenders on Brownlee but Almazan’s length is something that particularly bothers the Ginebra import. Almazan also matches up with Japeth Aguilar and Greg Slaughter. Notice that in Game 1, Brownlee had only one assist and in Game 2, none. With Almazan sitting down, Brownlee picked up nine assists in Game 3, a major reason why Ginebra’s offense was back in motion. In Game 1, Meralco had more assists, 19-16 and in Game 2, the Bolts also had more dimes, 27-20. But in Game 3, Ginebra reversed the tide, 23-15. Before the finals, Ginebra was the league’s No. 1 team in assists, averaging 27.8.

Almazan’s coverage cuts off Brownlee’s vision to make the extra pass and forces bad shots. It’s no secret that Ginebra is a more dangerous team when the ball is moving and finds the open man. In Game 1, Brownlee took 27 shots and in Game 2, 26. In Game 3, Brownlee had only 20 attempts but dished out nine assists as Ginebra led 39:21 minutes. When Ginebra won Game 1, it led only 16:24 and when it lost Game 2, it led 3:57. The impact of Almazan’s absence was evident.

At presstime, Meralco team manager Paolo Trillo couldn’t confirm if Almazan will suit up for Game 4 at Araneta tomorrow. “We’re still waiting for the official reading of his MRI,” he said. “Hoping for the best but can’t really say right now, we’ll take it day to day.”

The series has taken a different course from what the stats showed before the finals began. Meralco was supposed to be the defense-oriented team and Ginebra, the offense-oriented team. Entering the finals, Ginebra averaged 109.9 points in 11 wins this conference and Meralco held opponents to an average of 86.3 in its 12 wins. But in the finals, Ginebra’s two wins so far came when Meralco was held to 85 points and the Bolts’ only win came when they scored 104. The trend reversal reflects both coaches’ adjustments which are turning the finals into a thrilling chess match.    

In Game 3, Meralco had more bench points, 27-8 but without Almazan, it didn’t matter. Ginebra opened a 23-point lead in the third period and the cushion was enough to hold Meralco at bay down the stretch. The Bolts wouldn’t give up in the fourth quarter and brought down the gap to five, 87-82, with 2:04 to go. Then, Brownlee came to the rescue, issuing another assist to L. A. Tenorio who buried a triple to make it an eight-point advantage. Ginebra held on to win with Brownlee scoring 24, Japeth Aguilar 23, Stanley Pringle 21 and Tenorio 11.

It was Pringle who broke open a tight contest by scattering 17 points in the third quarter. He outscored the entire Meralco team which hit only 16 in the period. Allen Durham was scoreless in the second quarter but erupted for 12 points in the last 12 minutes. Durham, however, had six turnovers and like in Game 1, went 0-of-4 from rainbow distance. 

Black’s still waiting for Bong Quinto and Allein Maliksi to bring their A-game to the finals. Quinto is 4-of-18 from the floor, including 1-of-8 from three-point land, in three games and hasn’t hit his stride. Maliksi is 0-of-8 from deep in the finals and hasn’t found his range. He’s 1-of-13 overall. Before the finals, Maliksi shot 31.3 percent from deep and Quinto, 48.8 percent. They’re overdue for an explosion. 

For Ginebra, neither Scottie Thompson or Greg Slaughter has scored in double figures in any game in the finals so they, too, are overdue. But Cone can’t complain. Slaughter is averaging six rebounds and Thompson, 6.3 assists so they’re contributing in other ways than scoring. Teamwork is what’s important for Cone and in Game 3, that was the key. Those 23 assists meant Ginebra was back on track.