Barangay Ginebra just showed how scary they can be in the 2018 Philippine Cup, deploying a balanced attack to thwart Magnolia Hotshots, 89-78, in their Christmas Clasico bout Monday night at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.
Aside from kickstarting their all-Filipino campaign on the right foot, Ginebra has also improved their Christmas Games record to 10-1, with their last three wins coming into the hands of the Hotshots.
“I’m a little surprised at how well we played. We weren’t perfect out there but we played with really good energy,” said Ginebra coach Tim Cone. “It was like a perfect storm for us to get beat tonight but our guys figured out a way.”
Greg Slaughter spearheaded the attack with 24 points on top of 12 rebounds and four blocks. LA Tenorio displayed all-around brilliance as he finished with 15 points, eight assists, and five boards, while Japeth Aguilar scored 12.
The Barangay turned a slim 66-62 lead from early in the final frame to a favorable 76-64 cushion with 4:56 remaining in the said quarter, all thanks to a 10-2 scoring spurt punctuated by Jervy Cruz’ mid-range jumper.
Magnolia though tried to come back and were able to close within distance a few times, but Ginebra’s four straight points — ended by Aguilar’s alley-oop from Tenorio — that lifted them to an 86-76 lead were enough to seal the deal.
Forward Cruz also supplied 12 points off the bench, while the versatile Scottie Thompson showed his wares once more as he filled the stat sheet with six markers, nine rebounds, and seven assists for the Barangay.
Ian Sangalang carried much of the load for the now 1-1 Hotshots with 25 points along with 11 rebounds. Lee failed to replicate his 30-point outing in their season opener and made just 16, while PJ Simon addee 15 markers.
Ginebra will next play GlobalPort Batang Pier on January 7, 2018, Sunday, at 6:45 PM, while Magnolia will take on Kia Picanto on January 10, 2018, Wednesday, at 4:15 PM. Both games will be held at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
The Scores:
Ginebra 89 — Slaughter 24, Tenorio 15, J. Aguilar 12, Cruz 12, Caguioa 7, Ferrer 7, Thompson 6, Mariano 4, Taha 2, R. Aguilar 0.
Magnolia 78 — Sangalang 25, Lee 16, Simon 15, Pingris 6, Barroca 4, Dela Rosa 4, Gamalinda 4, Herndon 2, Melton 2, Ramos 0, Brondial 0, Pascual 0.
Quarterscores: 22-17, 48-37, 66-60, 89-78.
