Kings hold court in final Dubai match

Barangay Ginebra Kings squeaked past a spirited Rain or Shine Elasto Painters to earn an 89-88 down-to-the-wire victory before a sell-out crowd at the Al Shabab Club stadium in Deira on Friday night. The Kings improved their win-loss record to 2-1, while the Elasto Painters went back to the cellar with a 1-3 card in a match that capped the Dubai leg of the Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner's Cup. "It's an ugly win, but I'll take it any day. At least we're going home with a win," Kings coach Siot Tanquingcen said. Down 87-74 midway through the final period, the tough Rain or Shine crew of coach Yeng Guiao exploded with a 9-0 blast courtesy of American reinforcement Duke Crews and small forward Jeffrei Chan, taking advantage of the absence of Kings import Chris Alexander, who fouled out with just two minutes remaining in the game. But Crews missed the opportunity to tie the game after he split his penalty shots off a foul by Rudy Hatfield with just 28.3 seconds remaining. Gabe Norwood likewise failed to convert a desperation shot that could have rained on the Kings' parade. "It was just the breaks of the game. We had the chance to win but we did not have enough time. I'm proud of the way we handled ourselves in the end game," said Elasto Painters coach Guiao. "It was a one-point game and the story of the match is that we missed too many free throws," he said, referring to the 16 missed attempts from the 15-foot line. The temperamental coach likewise took a jab at the officials, whom he insinuated as having played to a mostly pro-Kings crowd. "Officiating was spotty. We were getting the short end of the officiating the entire time, but that's part of the game," Guiao told Gulf News.