The Redmanizers went on a rampage early in the third quarter with a runaway 22-point spread against the Gin Tonics, which played without Sonny Jaworski with a hamstring muscle injury and Romulo Mamaril with a left knee injury that came early in the semifinals.
Gilbey's led by 14 points three times in the second quarter and were up 61–54 at halftime. The Redmanizers started the third period with a 9–0 run to take the upper hand, 63–61, after Joey Marquez tied the count, an 18–0 barrage by Crispa gave them an 81–63 lead. The overpowering 27–2 Crispa rampage which wiped out the Tonics' halftime edge took only five minutes and 20 seconds. The Redmanizers were up front by 12 points, 97–85, at the end of the third quarter. Crispa pulled away by as much as 26 points at 113–87 with time down to 7:32 in the final period.
Sonny Jaworski, who sat out in the first two games of the series as he was nursing with an injured hamstring, return in the third game and the Gin Tonics had their spirits uplifted with Big J's leadership. Gilbey's roared to an 18-point lead twice in the second quarter. In the third period, Jaworski's basket makes it 65–53 for Gilbeys, but he committed his fourth personal foul on a driving Atoy Co with 7:57 in the third, coach Arturo Valenzona sent Alex Clarino for the Big J. With Jaworski on the bench on account of four personal fouls, the Redmanizers made a comeback and they knotted the count at 72-all with time down to 1:57. The third quarter ended with Crispa on top, 80–76.
The fourth quarter resulted to eight deadlocks with the last at 98-all. With 1:53 left in the ballgame and Gilbey's up by a point, 102–101, a rare four-point play by Steve Watson enabled the Gin Tonics to break away, a lay-up by Willie Generalao on a fastbreak put Gilbey's lead to seven, 108–101, with 1:09 remaining.
From a 56–42 halftime lead by Crispa, the Gin Tonics made a torrid comeback behind Francis Arnaiz and Steve Watson. With barely three minutes gone in the third quarter, Sonny Jaworski takes a crack at his three-point shot and scores as Gilbey's finally cut down Crispa's lead to a single digit, 62–54. The Gin Tonics tied the count at 73-all with 2:54 left in the third period.
In the fourth quarter, Arnaiz throws an outlet pass to Joey Marquez to forge the last tie at 109-all. Abet Guidaben breaks the deadlock and give Crispa a two-point lead, 111–109, Gilbey's calls for a timeout with one minute left. The inbound play of Gilbey's was a little shaky as Arnaiz use up so much time as possible and snaps off a premature shot far out, it bounces off the rim and lands into the hands of a Crispa defender. Joey Marquez seals the fate of the Gin Tonics by committing a foul on Bernie Fabiosa, who sinks both free throws for a four-point spread with 34 seconds left in the ballgame.
Abet Guidaben and Atoy Co sparked Crispa's early breakaway in the first quarter, leading as much as 17 points, 34–17. The Gin Tonics rallied to within eight points twice in the third period, but from thereon, the Redmanizers were never seriously threatened for the rest of the game.
Formerly the Gilbey's Gin, St. George Whiskies, Gilbey's Gin Gimlets, Gilbey's Gin Tonics, Ginebra San Miguel, Añejo Rum 65ers, Tondeña 65 Rum Masters, Gordon's Gin Boars and Barangay Ginebra Kings
