Ginebra flipped the switch in the second half and turned back the upset-seeking Titan Ultra, 108-105, for a rousing finish entering the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup quarterfinals, Sunday night at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
The Kings were already out of contention for a top-four finish following TNT’s 94-83 victory over Magnolia earlier, but that didn’t stop them from taking care of business against the Giant Risers to end the eliminations with five wins in a row.
After trailing by 13 at the break, the crowd darlings came out with a 31-point barrage in the third before unloading a 15-2 rally en route to a 92-82 advantage during the deciding frame, completely shifting the momentum their way.
(C) PBA Images
Eventually, the crew would finish the eliminations as the fifth seed with a 7-4 record, thus setting up a QF showdown with the no. 4 Converge set on Christmas Day at the Big Dome, still. Game time is set at 7:30 p.m.
Ginebra will be taking on a FiberXers side that’s equipped with a twice-to-beat advantage, hoping, of course, to overcome as much and gain a measure of payback against a team that beat them during the preliminaries, 106-96.
“The Rain or Shine game we played in Bahrain was not our best performance, and tonight wasn’t our best performance. But hopefully we’re saving it for the first game of the playoffs,” offered head coach Tim Cone.
Stephen Holt led the way with 27 points. RJ Abarrientos delivered 24 points and six assists, with Ralph Cu supplying 12 as the two led the bench support.
Scottie Thompson came through with 11 points, six rebounds, nine assists, and a steal while Troy Rosario chipped in 10 markers in the victory.
It wasn’t all smooth-sailing for the squad, though, as Titan Ultra knocked down a pair of crucial fours courtesy of Joshua Munzon and Calvin Abueva in the dying seconds and got themselves to within a point on both occasions.
But the Barangay were able to stave them off, with Holt and Abarrientos combining for a perfect 6-for-6 clip in separate trips to the foul line.
(C) PBA Images
With that, Munzon’s 31 to lead his side went for naught. Ditto with the all-around effort of Abueva, who tallied a 26-11-5-4 stat line in 37 minutes of play.
Aris Dionisio added 14 points for the Giant Risers, who actually led by as many as 16 points, 64-48, early in the third until Ginebra buckled down to work,
Coach Johnedel Cardel’s charges would slowly lose control of the match and would go on to conclude their maiden PBA conference with a 4-7 record.
The Scores:
Ginebra 108 – Holt 27, Abarrientos 24, Cu 12, Thompson 11, Rosario 10, Torres 8, Aguilar 5, David 4, Estil 4, Gray 3, Abis 0.
Titan Ultra 105 – Munzon 31, Abueva 26, Dionisio 14, Balanza 9, Flores 8, Pessumal 4, Melecio 3, Yu 3, Sangco 3, Ular 2, Ambohot 2, Javillonar 0, Monje 0, Martinez 0.
Quarterscores: 19-30, 42-55, 73-75, 108-105.
#WATCH: Ginebra head coach Tim Cone shares the conversation he had with LA Tenorio when the Magnolia coach revealed he’s suiting up for the Hotshots 🏀#ReadMore 👉 https://t.co/GAOmQyraMJ
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— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) December 21, 2025
