MANILA, Philippines -- Bay Area showed great resolve in Game 4 of the 2022 PBA Commissioners' Cup Finals last Friday, where they grabbed a crucial win over Barangay Ginebra against heavy odds.

The Dragons were playing without prolific import Andrew Nicholson, who sustained an ankle injury in Game 3. Their other import, American guard Myles Powell, cannot suit up as he is recovering from a foot injury of his own.

But they still claimed a 94-86 win to tie the best-of-seven series at two games apiece, with coach Brian Goorjian getting inspired performances from his players. Leading the way was young Canadian guard Kobey Lam, who tied his conference-high with 30 points just when Bay Area needed it.

"This game was really important for us," Lam told reporters after the game. "We don't want to be down 3-1, especially with our import, Nicholson, out, and Myles out."

"We all needed to step up more. So things like extra rebounds, more shots, more buckets. All that stuff," he added.

• READ: Bay Area claims Game 4 to tie series with Ginebra

Lam, 22, made sure to do "all that stuff" for the Dragons. He connected on 11 of his 20 field goals, including eight three-pointers. He also grabbed nine rebounds and dished out four assists, and registered a block and a steal.

His three-pointer with under five minutes left gave Bay Area a double-digit lead, 84-72. When Ginebra made a run in the ensuing moments, Lam turned provider as he assisted Duncan Reid and Hayden Blankley for clutch buckets.

"We couldn't dwell on the last game," said Lam, referring to their Game 3 collapse where they squandered a double-digit lead and fell 89-82 to the Gin Kings instead. "We gotta just move on and play the next one."

His mentality and production in Game 4 earned the praise of Goorjian, who made it clear that he had great trust in the young guard despite his relatively low production in the first three games of the series. Lam entered Friday's match averaging 13 points per game on 38% shooting from the field.

"When the game started tonight, I talked about playing off a certain amount of bounces and make your plays and your decisions quick, and be brave. I backed you, be brave. Take chances, take risks, but in our scheme," Goorjian said of Lam.

"I thought he did that, and at the end of the game, he just made some incredible plays. We tried to use the clock, get the ball to somebody with the court spread to make a play, and you knew it was gonna be him [Lam]," he added. "And he was amazing."

Lam will once again try to lead the charge for Bay Area in Game 5 of the series, set for Sunday evening at the Mall of Asia Arena.