Mark’s record game sparks King-size run

Everybody knows Ginebra has an acute manpower shortage.

There doesn’t seem to be any problem when "The Spark" is always ready and willing to stoke the crowd favorites’ drive.

With Mark Caguioa raising his level of play more than any other, the Kings now have a good shot at defending their PBA Philippine Cup championship.

This was stressed by Caguioa most when he scored a career-high 45 points to lift Ginebra to a 118-114 overtime win over Air21 last Sunday and into the quarterfinals.

The win was the third in as many games in the wildcard phase for the Kings, insuring their best-of-five meeting with Red Bull starting tomorrow.

It would not have been possible if not for Caguioa’s sterling plays in the week that was, making him the unanimous choice by the PBA Press Corps as its Gran Matador Brandy Player of the Week for the period May 29-June 4.

The 2001 Rookie of the Year had 32 points, six rebounds and as many assists in a 108-96 win over Talk N Text last Wednesday. He followed that up with 18 points and 10 assists in a 108-101 win over Sta. Lucia Realty.

Clearly, however, his best was saved for the Kings’ last game in the round.

The 6-foot off-guard scattered 16 points in the third quarter, poured in 11 in the fourth and added seven in overtime, including a booming triple that gave Ginebra the lead for good at 114-111.

That made coach Siot Tanquingcen both so pleased and so proud for his Caguioa.

"It all boiled down to that, players making the big shots, the big plays," said Tanquingcen.

"Caguioa had monster numbers anew. What can I say? It’s simply a joy working with him, watching him work his butt off in play and in practice and carry the load for this team."

Against Red Bull, Ginebra will still be minus key players Romel Adducul, Rodney Santos, Andy Seigle,

Mike Holper and Aris Dimaunahan, although Jayjay Helterbrand should be recovered enough from a hip injury that sidelined him in the Air21 game.

Caguioa remains the fangs of the Kings’ offense, however, and he should prove equal to the task anew.

His 45 is the most by any local in a game since TNT’s Asi Taulava set a career-high 51 in the Phone Pals’ 131-105 win over Purefoods in the 2004 Fiesta Conference.

Caguioa’s previous career-best was his 43 in Game 4 of last year’s Philippine Cup Finals against TNT and he now owns the three highest outputs in a game this conference, having scored 39 and 42 points in the Kings’ two meetings in the classification phase with the Phone Pals.

No wonder he is now the sole recipient of the weekly award, which he shared with two others twice before in the tournament.

Scribes covering the league named him and Coca-Cola’s Ali Peek for the period March 5-12 and again with San Miguel Beer’s Dondon Hontiveros for March 27-April 2.