FOR the second straight leg, Barangay Ginebra was tested in a nail-biting overtime finale. And just like last time, the Gin Kings proved up to the task and came away triumphant.
Doing an encore of their winning performance in last week's PBA 3x3 Season 3 First Conference opening leg championship, the gutsy Gin Kings outdueled Meralco in a thrilling showdown for the Leg 2 plum, 19-17, Tuesday at Ayala Malls Circuit.
Ralph Cu delivered the clinching two-pointer as Ginebra successfully fought back from an early 6-10 deficit and eventually forced Meralco to a 17-17 tie on Donald Gumaru's buzzer-beating reverse layup in regulation.
Kim Aurin led the scoring parade with eight, including two successive buckets that momentarily gave Ginebra a 14-13 upperhand. Cu shot six markers to go with five rebounds and four assists while Ralph Salcedo added three and Gumaru chipped in two markers and two dimes.
The win worth P100,000 came a week after the quartet, banking on Gumaru's marginal deuce, scored a similar 19-17 OT squeaker in the battle for Leg 1 honors with San Miguel Beer.
Sponsored content: "Mahirap mag-back-to-back pero dahil sa hard-work at sacrifices namin during the break, nakuha namin," said Salcedo, whose group gets extra workouts in playing joining the Gin Kings' 5-on-5 team in the PBA on Tour.
Ginebra now has three leg victories to its collection, counting its breakthrough in the Season 2 Third Conference Leg 3.
Meralco's Alfred Batino, Joseph Sedurifa, Jeff Manday and Bryan Santos settled for second place - a major improvement from their No. 7 standing in Leg 1. The Bolts banked P50,000.
On the way to the finals, Ginebra drubbed Blackwater, 22-17, while Meralco nipped Cavitex, 21-17.
Tonino Gonzaga, Ken Ighalo, Jorey Napoles and Dominick Fajardo gave the Braves another bronze after turning back Blackwater's Rey Publico, Nico Salva, Dariel Bayla and Patrick Jamison, 19-15. The Braves went home with P30,000. (OL)
