By Noli Cortez, Malaya Online Edition
November 6, 2007
For Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio, it doesn't matter how many W's his team has early in the conference. What carries more weight, he stressed, is that final win.
"It's nice when you're part of the best start ever for Purefoods, but I can only hope it can translate to a championship," Gregorio said minutes after his Giants stormed past listless Ginebra 103-76 last Sunday at the jampacked Astrodome.
The victory that took shape right in the first half was the fifth in as many games for Purefoods, giving the Giants their best start in franchise history and uncontested leadership in the Smart PBA Philippine Cup.
The youthful mentor, however, has set his sights far beyond the horizon.
"There's still a lot of work to be done," he stated. "We're not even in the first half of the conference yet, so there's no reason to be jubilant."
He added the full mettle of his team has yet to be tested, adding he expects acid tests to come soon, especially since they're on top.
"I've always told the team that our character can't be gauged early in the conference. Rather, it's how you can stay there on top for a long time," he said.
"I think I'm motivating them so far. As long as the other teams keep trying to shoot us down, they'll make sure to find ways we remain there."
One Purefoods player who did find a way to win was guard Peter June Simon, who came off the bench to score 15 of his game-high 27 points in the first quarter and helped take the fight out of defending champion Ginebra.
Simon connected on 6-of-11 shots as Purefoods raced to a 25-19 lead and was never challenged the rest of the way en route to posting the biggest winning margin so far early in the season.
With the job all but done, James Yap and Kerby Raymundo--who carried the Giants on their broad shoulders the previous games--had the luxury of playing backup.
Yap scored 13 points and Raymundo tallied eight points and eight rebounds--the first time he didn't register double digits this conference.
Purefoods stretched the lead to 51-30 at halftime as the Kings failed to get their rhythm going after shooting a woeful 26 percent from the field and giving up 10 points on as many turnovers in the first half.
Tempers flared early in the fourth quarter when Purefoods reserve guard Brandon Cablay and Ginebra's energetic forward, Ronbald Tubid, nearly came to blows.
Tubid scored 11 points and Rafi Reavis added 10 for the Kings, who continue to struggle in the absence of injured stars Mark Caguioa and Eric Menk.
"Their status remains day-to-day," said Ginebra coach Jong Uichico of his two stars.
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