Ginebra finally tore the script apart this time and wrote itself as the victors over TNT after taking the 88-76 decision in Game 7 of the Finals to capture the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup crown, Wednesday night.
Not wanting to become another footnote after losing in their last three championship bouts versus the Tropang 5G, the Kings turned it around with a 14-0 rally over the third and fourth quarters to take the 70-63 lead.
They wouldn’t let up, with Nards Pinto and Justin Brownlee adding to the lead while the opposition struggled to find any more rhythm. Even Chris McCullough went 1-for-6 during three straight trips to the line.
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McCullough made up for it by pulling his side to within three, as they tried to take advantage of RJ Abarrientos being benched for an F1. It proved to be their last stand, however, as Pinto hit a trey for the 80-74 lead with 3:04 to go.
The newly-minted BPC was then brought back into the match after his three-minute stay on the sidelines. He went on to knock down a heavy trey from the top of the key to widen the spread to 83-74 with exactly two minutes left to play.
The pro-Ginebra crowd of 24,517 fans at the SM Mall of Asia Arena then erupted in jubilation, as it became a coronation waiting to happen from that point.
Misses by the Tropa from deep — together with Brownlee’s split from the line, Scottie Thompson’s alley-oop from Abarrientos, and Troy Rosario’s jam inside the final 39.9 seconds — proved enough to seal the gold for the SMC franchise.
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“Any seventh game is a really hard game to play. I mean, the players are beat up through the first six and through the semifinals. We didn’t have any days off for three weeks. It was really a game of attrition,” said Coach Tim Cone.
“It really comes down to who can defend and who can hit the big shots down the stretch. We hit some really big shots to get ahead … We just battled,” added the 68-year-old, who’s now won a record-extending 26th league championship.
Brownlee top-scored for Ginebra with 30 points, 14 rebounds, and five assists to win his seventh title. He also finally passed Sean Chambers for having the most titles by an import in Asia’s pioneering pro league.
“Ten years ago, I would never have thought I’d be still playing at 38 years old and winning championships,” said ‘JB’. “But these fans, they give me the energy to go out there play for them, play for my family and give my best.”
Thompson flirted with a triple-double by registering 19 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists on his way to earning PBA Press Corps Finals MVP honors, in the process becoming the second winner of the Ramon Fernandez Trophy.
“Naging motivation ‘yung struggles. Gusto ko lang naman is makuha ‘tong panalong ‘to, makatulong sa team,” said the 2022 MVP, who turned in another all-around showing despite suffering an eye injury a minute into the game.
Abarrientos — though struggling from the field by making just five in his 23 attempts — finished with 13 points, four rebounds, and five assists.
Rosario produced 13 points as well, alongside seven rebounds. His jam also emphatically ended not just the team’s wait for glory, but his too, finally earning his first PBA title with his dream ball club.
Japeth Aguilar supplied seven points while Pinto added six — all of which he got from deep — as their collective effort helped the Barangay win its first chip since the 2022-23 Commissioner’s Cup and grow the team’s collection to 16.
“This never gets old,” Cone said. “It was a really, really tough two days just getting ready for this Game 7. There’s still that excitement. It’s not getting old.”
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McCullough, on the other hand, had 28 points and 22 rebounds for TNT in the loss that ended the flagship MVP franchise’s reign in the conference.
Jordan Heading had 21 points but could no longer buy a bucket in the final period, and the lefty guard’s struggles affected the squad as a whole.
Roger Pogoy, a strong candidate for Finals MVP honors had they won, was the only other player in double digits. He had 15 points and five rebounds for the Tropang 5G, who have lost their third straight championship series.
The Scores:
Ginebra 88 – Brownlee 30, Thompson 19, Abarrientos 13, Rosario 13, J. Aguilar 7, Pinto 6, Gray 0, Holt 0, Cu 0.
TNT 76 – McCullough 28, Heading 21, Pogoy 15, Oftana 5, Aurin 4, Nambatac 3, Galinato 0, Khobuntin 0, Williams 0.
Quarterscores: 18-16, 40-47, 68-63, 88-76.
