Vernon Macklin layup gives Ginebra thrilling victory over Meralco

“Go strong.”

That was Alfrancis Chua’s instruction to import Vernon Macklin in Barangay Ginebra San Miguel’s final timeout with the team down one point against Meralco.

Macklin followed his coach’s instruction to the letter, hitting a layup with seven seconds left that gave the Gin Kings a thrilling 91-90 victory over the Bolts Sunday at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.

Ginebra won its sixth straight game to improve its Commissioner’s Cup win-loss record to 7-5. The rampaging Gin Kings have won seven of their last eight matches after opening the tournament with four straight losses.

But the Gin Kings had to go through the eye of the needle against the Bolts, who put together a 9-0 run on three straight three-pointers in the last three minutes — two from Sunday Salvacion and one from Ronjay Buenafe — to take a one-point lead before Macklin’s heroics.

“Ang Ginebra team, hindi talaga sumusuko,” Chua said after the game.

The coach noted that Meralco’s three-pointers all came off broken plays.

“Siguro pinasarap lang ng Diyos ang laro,” said Chua. “Pero I have to give it to them, talaga yung dalawang shooter nila, grabe.”

Macklin finished with 31 points and 12 rebounds, outpointing counterpart Eric Dawson, who was coming off a 57-point performance last Friday. The Meralco import had 27 points, 14 rebounds, four assists, four steals, and five blocks, but missed the final shot that could have given the Bolts the victory.

SOURCE: Interaksyon

astig mo VMAC sana nuon kapa kinuha...ganda ng performance mo dominant import san kapa panis sayo ni balls este bowles nila hehehehe

NSD heart of V-MACK, lahing Ginebra ka rin pala.....tagay mo muna... hehehe.. congrats sa team!!!

sayang tlaga yun mga games na nauna with hill... kung c vmack lang sana ang naging import natin nun una pa lang baka tayo ang nasa top sa standing

move on kabs importante we are back on track and no. 3 na tyo and we hope makuha natin yung no. 2 pagnatalo natin yung alaska... and we hope hanggang finals na to