Ginebra foils Global debut

Ginebra foils Global debut


RICO Maierhofer would let himself be forgotten in the din of Ginebra’s pre-season buildup.

The likes of LA Tenorio and two electrifying rookies shone for the Kings and veteran Mark Caguioa struck the hardest in the second half, but it was Maierhofer who made some key baskets of his own and helped them notch a 110-90 win over debuting GlobalPort last night in the opening match of the PBA Philippine Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.


Maierhofer’s two putbacks proved crucial in the stretch as Ginebra recovered its composure in the face of a torrid GlobalPort fightback that brought the Batang Pier back from 24 points down to within 86-94 with still 5:10 left.

Tenorio capped his sterling debut in a Kings uniform with a couple of his game-high 10 assists and two of his nine rebounds that pointed the Kings to the victory before a mammoth opening day crowd.

“I’m happy we got over this game,” said Ginebra coacgh Siot Tanquingcen. “Alam n’yo na, opening day, somehow maraming distractions. We had to get off on the right foot and we did.”

Caguioa wound up with a team-high 18 points after scoring 13 in the last 24 minutes of play with Maierhofer, acquired from B-Meg prior to last season, chipping in 14 points to go with 11 boards.

“Rico, he’s starting to take more of the load, taking a bigger role dito,” noted Tanquingcen. “It’s crucial. That’s the main reason na kahit medyo injured siya last year kinuha pa rin namin siya. That’s what we were foreseeing and tonight he validated our trust in him.”

Not to be outdone was Tenorio, whose feeds were the highest by a Ginebra player in the last four years and more than atoned for his measly two points on 1-for-6 field shooting.

“Si LA malaking bagay talaga,” said Tanquingcen. “He brings a lot of intangibles sa game. Nu’ng bumalik sila the key rebounds, the turnovers he caused nagpabalik ng momentum to our side. He makes plays and makes it easier for the other guys.”

Newcomers Chris Ellis and Keith Jensen showed promise by combining for 25 points while Billy Mamaril added 14 points for Ginebra.

Willie Miller scored a game-high 26 points but Gary David was limited to just nine points, six of them from the stripe, as GlobalPort got a rude welcome in its league debut.

Some promise was showed by the Batang Pier when rookie AJ Mandani and Miller conspired to lead the Batang Pier back from a 47-71 deficit. David capped the uprising with a pull-up triple, his lone basket, but that was the closest they would get.

Dylan Ababou did not see action due to a hamstring injury he suffered in Ginebra’s last tune-up game against Petron Blaze last week. His absence was hardly felt.

In a game watched by a record opening day crowd of 18,901, the Kings got off to a quick start and led by as much as 53-32 before settling for a 55-39 halftime lead.

Taking everybody by surprise, Mamaril led Ginebra with eight points while Ellis and Jensen had seven points apiece as the Kings steadily broke off from a tight 23-20 count.

Similar chemistry was simply lacking on the part of GlobalPort.

The much-anticipated team-up of Miller and David hardly bore the desired fruits in the early goings. Although the two-time MVP had nine points in the first 24 minutes of play, the perennial scoring champion missed his first four shots while committing as many turnovers.

Rudy Lingganay scored all of the Batang Pier’s first 12 points, the last six off back-to-back triples that moved them within 12-14. But he was replaced and it was clear his touch deserted him when he returned.

Some semblance of fire was shown by GlobalPort in the first half but the most notable in the wrong way.

David was disgusted by Rabeh Al-Hussaini’s failure to defend against an undergoal stab by Mamaril and lashed out at the third-year center in the ensuing timeout.

In contrast, Ginebra’s focus was unwavering.

Tenorio did not buy a basket until his third shot, which he kissed off the glass in the last 3:17 of the half. But he need not do much except find the hot hands of which Ginebra had plenty of.

It was Allein Maliksi who started Ginebra’s roll, scoring all six of his points in the first seven minutes of play as the Kings easily quashed GlobalPort’s threat through the incursions of Rico Maierhofer, Kerby Raymundo and Hatfield and some snipings by Caguioa and Jensen, the latter’s trey making it a 26-20 count heading to the second period.

The game was preceded by a glittering opening ceremony highlighted by the governors escorting their respective team muses in Rizzini Alexis Gomez for Alaska, Georgina Wilson for Ginebra, Alice Dixson for Talk N Text, Anne Curtis for San Mig, Sam Pinto for GlobalPort, beauty tilist Camille Guevara for Rain or Shine, Ciane Simoes Xavier for Barako Bull, Isabelle Daza for Petron, Stephanie Stefanowitz for Air21 and the girls of TV5’s Artista Academy, led by Sophie Albert, for Meralco.

Source: Malaya.com.ph