BY NOLI CORTEZ

IT took Ginebra quite a while to remember its immediate mission. But when the Kings did, they played like a team possessed.

The Kings spewed fire in the last 15 minutes to beat the game but outclassed Welcoat Dragons 111-96 and keep alive their hopes of figuring in a playoff for the last automatic semis berth in the Smart PBA Fiesta Conference at the Araneta Coliseum.

Ginebra’s fearsome foursome of Mark Caguioa, Jayjay Helterbrand, Chris Alexander and Ronald Tubid each scored at least 18 points as they notched the first of two wins they need to realize their goal.

The Kings improved their win-loss record to 9-8 going into their last eliminations assignment against the Alaska Aces tomorrow. Another win over the Aces, coupled with losses by Red Bull in its last two games, will forge a tie at 10-8 among Coca-Cola, Ginebra, Magnolia and Red Bull.

By virtue of higher quotients, Ginebra and Coke then play off for the semis slot alongside early semis qualifier Air21. A win by the Bulls against Talk N Text later in the evening, however, will render the Kings’ match against the Aces a virtual knockout game for the last automatic quarterfinals slot.

Those scenarios almost did not materialize, Uichico said, after his players allowed Welcoat to make a tight game of it in the first three quarters.

"Sinabi ko sa kanila a few days back pa, hindi ibibigay sa amin ng Welcoat," he related. "Siyempre, they’d like to win, play the spoiler’s role. Kaya nga I keep stressing complacency is the enemy.

"That’s what happened in the first three quarters. We were not ready to play. Tinitingnan nila ang Sunday game agad. Buti na lang medyo nagising na late in the third and start of the fourth."

Caguioa, who topscored with 26 points, and Alexander, who had 20 points and a game-high 16 rebounds, sparked Ginebra’s 10-2 charge from the last deadlock at 75 and then Tubid, who had 24 points, joined hands with Caguioa in an 11-1 run starting the fourth to put the Kings suddenly beyond reach 96-78.

It was all-Ginebra after that, the difference even getting stretched to as much as 108-86.

Long eliminated from the playoff race, Welcoat formally wound up with a 4-14 slate notwithstanding Marquis Gainous’ 27 points and 13 rebounds, marking the fourth straight time in as many conferences the Dragons failed to make it past the elims.