PBA: Caguioa plays hero as Ginebra outguns Petron in crunch time, 83-80

The Barangay Ginebra Kings leaned on Mark Caguioa in the payoff period to pull off a come from behind victory against the Petron Blaze Boosters, 83-80.

The Kings got off to a fast start, going on a 11-2 run in the first few minutes of the game. Petron was quick to recover, though, with Alex Cabagnot knotting it up at 13-all with a three-pointer.

Back to back baskets by Danny Ildefonso and Eddie Badsen gave Petron the lead to end the first quarter, 21-19.

At the start of the second, Jay Washington and Chris Lutz teamed up to give Petron a more comfortable lead at 33-27, but Caguioa continued to keep the Kings close, tying the game at 36-all.

A Kerby Raymundo basket gave Ginebra the lead, 40-38, before Lutz converted on a layup to tie the game at the half, 40-40.

The two teams traded baskets at the beginning of the third, before eight straight points by Petron put them on top by eight, 65-57.

Come the final period, Dylan Ababou and Enrico Villanueva teamed up to bring the lead down to three, 65-62.

But Petron countered with another run for a 71-62 advantage. The Kings continued to hang around, and with less than six minutes left in the game, Mark Caguioa hit a booming triple to bring Ginebra within two, 73-71.

A Raymundo layup on the break tied the game at 73-all, before another Caguioa long bomb put the Kings ahead, 76-73, capping off a 15-2 run.

With Ginebra ahead by six with less than a minute to go, Eddie Badsen goes on the offensive to cut the lead to four, 79-75. Caguioa was sent to the line where he makes one of two, before Badsen scored again to bring Petron within three, 80-77 with half a minute to go.

Petron then fouled Caguioa who made two crucial freethrows to make it 82-77. Wasting no time, Cabagnot hurries to line up for a three, which he makes to put Petron within 2, 82-80, with 21 seconds remaining.

A Raymundo split from the line gave Ginebra a bit more of a breathing room with 19 seconds left, 83-80. With no timeouts left, Petron raced to cross to their side of the court where Badsen, Cabagnot, and Santos were found hovering behind the three point line. Cabagnot got to launch one, but the shot fell short and hit the front of the rim as the time expired.

"It's a great feeling. Mark Caguioa made it possible. When he came in, he was a scoring machine. I am privileged to be working with guys like these," said Ginebra head coach Siot Tangquincen. — ELR, GMA News

GINEBRA 83 - Caguioa 19, Bozeman 16, Raymundo 15, Ababou 6, Maierhofer 6, Hatfield 6, Maliksi 5, Villanueva 4, Canaleta 2, Cortez 2, Helterbrand 2.

PETRON 80 - Basden 15, Lutz 15, Miranda 13, Ildefonso 11, Washington 10, Santos 9, Cabagnot 6, Yeo 1, Reyes 0, Pena 0.