“What you can do, I Also can” was the seemingly theme of the PBA semifinal series of the 2016 Governor’s Cup.
With San Miguel Corporation’s Barangay Ginebra and San Miguel battling in one series and MVP’s Meralco and Talk N’ Text squaring in the other, the sibling rivalry hardcourt competition was at its highest level and intensity as the combatants refused to be upstaged by the Sister Team opponents, clearly evidenced by the thumping runs and supposedly devastating bombs aimed at each other.
In the SMB-BGSM series, Ginebra started the trend of dramatic runs.
In game one, they were outscored by nine in the first two quarters just only to counter with a 33-19 third quarter to key the win.
Games two and three were closely fought.
Then the Beermen got a 29 point, 101-72, rousing victory to send the series to sudden death. A 23-0 run from 1:26 of the first quarter to 4:36 in the second got the Gins scratching their heads as they could not find any answer to a hot Marcio Lassiter, who keyed the attack.
Ginebra, however, did not take that beating seating down as they came back strong in the do-or-die game. From the precarious 14-12 lead in the 5:00 mark, Scottie Thompson engineered a 23-0 counter run of their own, including 19 unanswered in the first, to establish a 37-12 lead, 11:00 into the second.
Many thought it was all over but the shouting, except the Beermen and their ardent fans. A three point play by Alex Cabagnot ignited another unthinkable 24-0 run from the 8:52 mark until the 3:15 of the second to cut the lead to just one, 36-37.
Ginebra then pulled out another gem, a 26-9 blast this time, to reestablish the lead at 18, 63-45, 6:58 left in the third and probably broke the backs of the Beermen.
After quick exchanges of baskets to make it 68-49, the Gins did not let up and whipped a 49-34 closing offensive outburst to the delight of the Ginebra crowd. The final Ginebra basket, a Jayjay Helterbrand jumper, made it 117-83, giving the Gins their highest lead of the game at 34.
The TNT-Meralco series did not have the same dramatic swings but the punches thrown at the opponents were as lethal.
TNT drew the first deadly run in the series with a 39-24 blast in the third of the first game to get the series lead.
Meralco actually opened this match by going 14-8 in the first but TNT quickly recovered and even took a one point first quarter lead. It was just a two point lead after the second, 45-43, when a 19-10 run by TNT ballooned the lead to 11, 66-55, and eventually put the game away with an 84-67, 17 point, third quarter lead.
Meralco then countered with a 29-15 game two first quarter to pocket game two and even the series. The Bolts got the early lead and were able to nurse that early offensive burst to hold until the final buzzer of the game.
Game three was closely fought.
Then game four became a game of short but deadly jabs. TNT would again open the match with a 14-8 burst, a lead they would nurse until the 6:27 mark of the third, a point where they are still ahead, 53-50.
Meralco would then cook a 20-9 blast to take a 70-62 lead 10:08 left in the game. TNT, however, came back strong by blanking the Bolts, 8-0, and close the gap 72-70, 6:40 left.
Meralco got in another seemingly crippling run, 14-6 this time, to take a double digit lead with 1:30 left. As the Bolt fans celebrated, the Texters quickly responded with a 9-2 counter attack in just 27 seconds to again cut the lead to three and threaten, with still 1:03 time left on the clock.
Meralco would then close out the series with a 6-0 run to take their first finals appearance in franchise history.