Sizzling Kings dump Aces, extend streak to 5

The Ginebra Gin Kings continue to sizzle. The Gin Kings banked on their deadly backcourt unit to outplay the struggling Alaska Aces, 81-68, and extend their winning streak to five games in the PBA Philippine Cup Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum. Mark Caguioa, Willie Miller and rookie Jimbo Aquino conspired for the Gin Kings’ onslaught in the fourth period. Both teams battled toe-to-toe until Ginebra’s triumvirate joined forces. The three-guard line-up worked for the Kings. Down 56-58 with 11 minutes to go, the trio orchestrated a killer 17-5 run capped by Aquino’s triple with 4:23 left as the Gin Kings took command at 73-63. The three guards accounted for all of those 17 points and were responsible for 21 of the Gin Kings’ 25 fourth-quarter points. Miller and Caguioa had eight apiece while Aquino added five. Miller finished with a team-high 16 points while Caguioa had 14 for Ginebra. Rico Villanueva added 12 points. ‘’We play one game at a time. Hopefully, we win enough games to be at the top,’’ said Ginebra coach Jong Uichico. After winning five in a row, the Kings are now at 6-2 to forge a three-way tie for the lead with idle San Miguel and Talk ‘N Text in the team standings. ‘’Our players really have the scorers' mentality. But we need to have defensive mentality also. It will make them well-rounded.’’ In its five-game winning run, Ginebra has beaten its opponents by an average of 14.7 points. After starting its season 3-0, the Aces have droped five of their last six games and are now at 4-5. Joe Devance led Alaska with a double-double of 17 points and 17 rebounds while LA Tenorio had 12. - KY, RCJ, GMANews.TV