Beermen storm back vs Gin Kings to force Game 5

MANILA, Philippines -- As the saying goes, it’s not how you start, but how you finish. 

San Miguel erupted in the third quarter and kept Barangay Ginebra at bay, 108-102, in Game 4 of their PBA Governors’ Cup quarterfinal series Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. 

The Beermen erupted for 46 points in the third quarter to erase a 17-point deficit, keep the Gin Kings at arm’s length, and force a winner-take-all Game 5. 

Taking a double-digit lead in the first half, Ginebra went ahead by as much as 17 points, 61-44, after a layup by Jordan Murphy at the 10:19 mark of the third quarter. 

But a 22-0 run pushed San Miguel ahead by five, 66-61, a little more than four minutes after. 

And while Isaac Go halted the run with a layup, 63-66, the Beermen kept on coming. 

They unleashed another huge run, this time a 24-10 run, to push the lead to 17, 90-73, early on in the fourth. 

The lead rose to 19, 98-79, and it looked like San Miguel was off to a breezy victory. 

Ginebra, though, stormed back, slicing the deficit to three, 100-103, with 2:11 remaining thanks to the stellar play of Scottie Thompson and a triple by Nards Pinto. 

The Gin Kings continued to keep in step with their opponents, with a pair of Thompson freebies making it a 102-105 ballgame with 25.9 seconds to go. 

But a bailout foul by Thompson on George King kept San Miguel ahead, 107-102, and after a miss by Jonathan Gray from the 4-point territory, a split from the line by Chris Ross iced the game. 

King exploded for 35 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, a steal and a block in the win. Ross followed suit with 20 markers, nine dimes, six boards and five steals. CJ Perez added 14 points while Don Trollano had 11 markers off the bench. 

Thompson powered Ginebra with 27 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and four steals. Murphy added 16 markers, 22 boards and three dimes. 

Troy Rosario and Go had 15 and 13 points, respectively, off the bench.

The win-or-go-home Game 5 is set on Tuesday, 7:30 p.m., at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.

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