Bolts fight for dear life
Kings look to continue reign
BOCAUE, Bulacan – Aggressiveness was one of the words that came out in the mouths of both Greg Slaughter and LA Tenorio, a fitting description to their Game 5 performance Sunday that put Barangay Ginebra San Miguel on the cusp of another PBA Governors' Cup crown.
Slaughter made sure he wasn’t wasting his first start in the finals and delivered 17 points, 16 rebounds and six blocks after so-so outings for most of the series while Tenorio likewise produced 17 points following a scoreless showing in Game 4.
Ginebra, which came out with an 85-74 victory over Meralco in front of a Finals record 36,445 fans at the Philippine Arena here, needs just one more win to repeat as champions of the season-ending conference. The Kings and their loyal followers can only hope Slaughter and Tenorio pull a repeat performance in tomorrow's potential title clincher at the same venue.
“This is a crucial one for us, just fortunate that we got the win but the job is not done yet. We need to get one more,” said Slaughter, who accounted for half of the 10-1 run that enabled Ginebra to turn the game into a rout after a slim 74-70 lead with over six minutes remaining.
“What we did (in Game 5) is not enough for the next game. For sure, (Meralco is) going to adjust, so we just have to double our efforts if we want to close out the series,” Tenorio said.
The 7-foot Slaughter had come off the bench in the first four games of the finals, with Japeth Aguilar getting the starting nod. Slaughter eventually became a forgotten man during crucial stretches of Games 3 and 4 which Meralco both won to tie the series.
Ginebra coach Tim Cone decided to give Slaughter the start, and the player nicknamed “Gregzilla” went on a rampage.
He asserted himself in the shaded lane throughout the contest, then played a role in limiting Meralco import Allen Durham to just three points in the fourth quarter while scoring key baskets that led to the Ginebra breakaway.
Tenorio scored the game's first four points before hitting nine by the end of the opening period. Last year's Governors' Cup Finals Most Valuable Player suited up 40 minutes, prompting Cone to apologize for giving his ace playmaker excessive playing time.
But then, Cone can be forgiven since Tenorio wasn’t even part of the last seconds of Game 4 when Ginebra failed to convert three shot attempts in the 85-83 defeat at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
As for his heavy minutes, Tenorio would rather be restless now with the mission nearing its completion.
“Coach Tim was apologizing to me because of my extended minutes. But I don’t care. This is the championship. I’ll just rest after the series. If I have to play for 48 minutes, I’m ready. I told him, even next game,” he stressed.