Ginebra stopped Phoenix from pulling off an upset with a resilient 102-93 victory to get back on track in the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup before a good crowd at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion, Sunday night.
RJ Abarrientos, Troy Rosario, and Stephen Holt put together the decisive 12-0 run to flip a three-point deficit to a 100-91 lead with 20.7 seconds left.
The team also redeemed themselves after bowing to Converge just two nights ago.
Abarrientos tied the game up with a triple at 91-all, before Rosario came through with key back-to-back plays. He first made a cleanup underneath, then the kick-out that led to Holt’s back-breaking trey for the 96-91 lead with 49.3 ticks to spare.
Free throws courtesy of the same troika inside the game’s final 20.7 seconds proved to be the final touches as the Barangay finished the game with a strong 25-8 rally — that, after coughing up a huge 41-23 second-quarter advantage.
(C) PBA Images
“We’ve pretty much lost all of our games in the fourth quarter. Today we lost the early part of the fourth quarter, came back, and were able to make some big plays down the stretch,” offered head coach Tim Cone.
“It was good tonight to get the monkey off our back a little bit by coming out and winning the game down the stretch. That was really important for us,” he added.
Abarrientos top-billed for Ginebra with 25 points, alongside three rebounds and four assists off the bench. Scottie Thompson delivered 19 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists, while Holt finished with 17 points and nine rebounds.
Rosario supplied 14 points and seven rebounds. Jeremiah Gray made 13 points, including two three-pointers, while Japeth Aguilar added 11 markers and seven boards.
A total of six players scored in double figures in the triumph.
“We really wanted to get this win tonight, kasi we all know we’re struggling sa standing namin,” said Thompson. “As much as possible, every game is a playoff game na. If we win ugly, OK lang ‘yun basta makuha namin ‘yung panalo.”
The Kings improved to 3-4 following the result and are now sitting at no. 8 in the standings, behind Meralco. The Bolts, despite toting a similar record, have the advantage in the head-to-head after winning their encounter, 89-75.
(C) PBA Images
At ninth, on the other hand, is Phoenix with a 2-6 record after failing to sustain its winning ways coming off a 107-76 rout of Terrafirma the last time out.
The defeat wasted the 28-point showing of Ricci Rivero off the bench, taking the spotlight against the crowd darlings this time after the Gin Kings suffered 32 big points from Juan Gomez de Liano with the FiberXers.
Jason Perkins had 17 points and 11 rebounds. Kai Ballungay and Tyler Tio made 12 points apiece, while Ken Tuffin added 10 in the defeat.
The Scores:
Ginebra 102 – Abarrientos 25, Thompson 19, Holt 17, Rosario 14, Gray 13, J. Aguilar 11, Torres 3, Estil 0, David 0, Pinto 0, Cu 0.
Phoenix 93 – Rivero 28, Perkins 17, Ballungay 12, Tio 12, Tuffin 10, Jazul 4, Nelle 2, Ando 2, Caperal 2, Daves 2, Santos 2, Garcia 0, Manganti 0, Escandor 0, Kwekuteye 0.
Quarterscores: 27-19, 50-42, 75-70, 102-93.
