Ginebra sent Converge crashing back to reality, 105-93, to bolster its twice-to-beat hopes in the PBA Season 48 Philippine Cup on Saturday evening at the Aquilino Pimentel Jr. International Convention Center in Cagayan de Oro.
Already assured of a quarterfinal seat thanks to NorthPort’s thrilling 115-113 win over Blackwater in Caloocan earlier in the day, the Gin Kings now have their sights set on securing the coveted incentive for the playoffs’ first round.
Coach Tim Cone’s wards showed how keen they are in doing so, submitting a strong second-half showing that saw them erupt for 35 points in the third quarter alone to seize full control of the game before cruising to the win.
Christian Standhardinger fell just short of a triple-double as the two-time BPC finished with 33 points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists to lead Ginebra, who won its fourth game in a row and improved to 7-3 to stay at no. 2 in the standings.
Maverick Ahanmisi produced 17 points, six rebounds, and seven assists. Ralph Cu made 13 points, Japeth Aguilar had 12 points and six boards, while Scottie Thompson tallied a 10-10-7 line as all starters finished in twin digits.
The starting unit was responsible in the breakaway, with Cu igniting a 15-4 run through a triple toward a 66-54 lead with 6:57 to go in the third. The FiberXers would never come close to single digits the rest of the game.
Ginebra would lead by as many as 21 points, 96-75, behind a Standhardinger bucket approaching the last five minutes of the match.
Nards Pinto was the only other player to score in double figures with 10 markers off the bench in the victory that also served as a warm welcome for new acquisition Dave Murrell, whom the team picked up off waivers.
The Kings will look to cap off their elimination round campaign with a win against NLEX, currently at joint-third with Magnolia, in the final game of the said phase on May 5, Sunday, 6:15 p.m. at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Alec Stockton, on the other hand, led Converge with a career second-best 32 points. It was also his third 30-point game of the conference.
Justin Arana had 18 points and seven rebounds while Aljun Melecio added 10 points for the FiberXers, which failed to sustain their 104-99 win over Meralco last April 21 for their first win after a 0-8 start into the all-Filipino tilt.
The also-ran crew fell to 1-9 and will try to end their season strongly against the 5-4 TNT on May 1, Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.
The Scores:
Ginebra 105 – Standhardinger 33, Ahanmisi 17, Cu 13, J. Aguilar 12, Thompson 10, Pinto 10, Murrell 3, Pringle 3, Pessumal 3, Gumaru 1, David 0, Onwubere 0, Tenorio 0, R. Aguilar 0.
Converge 93 – Stockton 32, Arana 18, Melecio 10, Winston 9, Delos Santos 7, Maagdenberg 7, Santos 5, Caralipio 2, Fornilos 2, Flores 1, Nieto 0.
Quarterscores: 24-21, 48-48, 83-69, 105-93.
