BARANGAY Ginebra finally makes its PBA 49th Season debut on Saturday - and it will be in front of the fans in Candon City in the league’s first out-of-town game of the newly-opened Governors’ Cup.
The Gin Kings take on a team that already has a win in the bag in Rain or Shine in Group B action. Here’s a preview of the match.
Rain or Shine vs. Barangay Ginebra
When: Saturday, August 24. 6 p.m.
Where: Candon City Arena
Watch: RPTV, PBA Rush, Pilipinas Live
RJ, Holt, Go debut for Ginebra
Anticipation is in the air for Ginebra fans as rookie RJ Abarrientos, Stephen Holt, and Isaac Go will finally don the the Gin Kings' colors.
Abarrientos was drafted No. 3 in the Season 49 draft after Ginebra acquired the pick from Terrafirma by giving up Christian Standhardinger and Stanley Pringle. In his first preseason game seen by the public, Abarrientos scored 20 points including clutch shots in the Gin Kings’ win over New Taipei Kings in Macau, a performance that head coach Tim Cone is confident can be translated to the PBA.
Holt, meanwhile, suits up for the first time since bagging Rookie of the Year honors while still playing for the Dyip last season. Go takes over the big man position where he brings a different dimension to the skillset once offered by C-Stan.
Going for No. 2 in an acid test for Rain or Shine
The Elasto Painters will look to stay undefeated in their clash against the Gin Kings, whose retooled lineup will be tested. Rain or Shine has lost its three previous games against Ginebra, with its last win coming in the Gin Kings' first game back in the 2022-23 Commissioner’s Cup.
The Elasto Painters beat Blackwater, 110-97, last Tuesday to open the season on a high note. Rookies Caelan Tiongson and Felix Lemetti displayed their true potential from the get-go, making head coach Yeng Guiao look good with his decision to pick the two players back-to-back in the first round.
Collective effort
If Rain or Shine wants to triumph over Barangay Ginebra, it has to do it by committee. In the game against the Bossing, eight players scored eight or more points, while the team also got 66 points from the bench - 26 combined from Tiongson and Lemetti. It also tallied 29 assists in the win.
"This is a good lineup that we have. It is certainly an upgrade from our last lineup in the All-Filipino and sa All-Filipino, naka-semis kami. Kung tama 'yung calculation namin na upgrade ito at naka-semis kami from the last one and we have a good import, I think we can contend and give teams a run," said Guiao.
Justin Brownlee marks Ginebra return
The main storyline for Saturday’s game is the return of Justin Brownlee for the Gin Kings. Brownlee’s last outing with them came during the 2024 Governors’ Cup where they lost to Rondae Hollis-Jefferson-led TNT in the finals.
The naturalized player for Gilas Pilipinas didn’t see action for Ginebra in the 48th Season Commissioner’s Cup, as he served the suspension due to his positive doping test after the Hangzhou Asian Games.
This means that this will be the first time in 16 months that Brownlee will play for the Gin Kings.
The good thing is that Brownlee is in shape. Aside from his stints with Gilas, he recently played club basketball for Pelita Jaya in Indonesia where he won a championship, adding to his ‘magic.’
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