IT WAS a happy Easter indeed for fans of the Ginebra franchise.
The Gin Kings coolly snapped the series deadlock and advance to a 3-2 lead as they dismantled the Bolts, 115-110.
Meralco didn’t give up without a fight, mounting a close comeback in the fourth quarter. But it wasn’t enough to stave off the triple threat of Scottie Thompson, Justin Brownlee, and big man Christian Standhardinger.
When Aaron Black cut the Gin Kings’ lead to 1 in the fourth quarter, the steadfast Gin Kings fans dropped the usual “Defense!” battlecry.
Their chant? “Ginebra! Ginebra! Ginebra!"
It seemed to have worked. What followed as shouts reverberated to the rafters: A leap of a rebound for Scottie Thompson, followed by a Scottie three-pointer that then led to a score of 105-97.
During the last 55 seconds of the fourth quarter, fans — a total of 18,251 in attendance, said the PBA — also sparked a sea of lights from the stands.
Two hours before the game kicked off, tickets for all seats except general admission were already sold out. But Ticketnet, Araneta Coliseum's ticket provider, offered standing-room only tickets at the lower box for P250 and the upper box for P100.
On Twitter, fans thanked the heavens for the Gin Kings' victory:
Umuulan ng tres
Endgame kept everyone at the edge of their seats
Sheesh
Solid showing from the Gin Kings
Panata para sa Ginebra
What a touching tweet!
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph