ANTIPOLO - Justin Brownlee and RJ Abarrientos rose to the occasion in close-out Game Six, ousting pesky Rain or Shine, 118-107, to advance to the finals of the PBA 50th Season Commissioner's Cup on Sunday.
The Gin Kings also got a boost from the likes of reserves Ralph Cu and Isaac Go to finish off a fiercely fought best-of-seven semifinal series in six games in front of 11,321 fans - the biggest to watch a PBA game at the Ynares Center.
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Ginebra fended off repeated Rain or Shine rallies after leading by as many as 17 points to return to the PBA Finals for the first time since losing to the Rondae Hollis-Jefferson-led TNT squad in the Season 49 PBA Commissioner's Cup title series.
Brownlee and Abarrientos proved tough to stop for Rain or Shine, hitting the 30-point benchmark for the second successive game. Brownlee had 31 points, and Abarrientos had 30 points to lead the Ginebra offense.
The closest Rain or Shine got was at 98-97, but Ginebra responded with a three-pointer by Brownlee from the left corner, followed by a jumpshot by Abarrientos that widened the lead back to 105-98.
That was the decisive pullaway for the Gin Kings, with a dunk by Japeth Aguilar in the final seconds serving as the final nail to the coffin.
Ginebra coach Tim Cone said they were determined not to allow the series to go to a do-or-die seventh game.
“We didn’t want to play a Game 7 against a Yeng Guiao team. That would have been a disaster for us. We put all of our eggs in one basket, and went after this game,” said Cone.
Brownlee had a double-double as he also had 15 rebounds, while Abarrientos also collected six rebounds, seven assists, three steals, and one block.
A revelation was Cu, who had 11 points, five rebounds, and three assists aside from his 3-of-6 shooting from threes.
Go finished with nine points on a perfect 3-of-3 from the field.
Jaylen Johnson had 27 points and 14 rebounds, while Gian Mamuyac had 25 points as the Elasto Painters' campaign ended at the semifinals stage for the fifth time in the last six conferences.
The scores:
Barangay Ginebra 118 – Brownlee 31, Abarrientos 30, Thompson 16, Cu 11, Go 9, Holt 6, Gray 5, Rosario 4, J. Aguilar 4, Pinto 2.
Rain or Shine 107 – Johnson 27, Mamuyac 25, Nocum 16, Tiongson 12, Asistio 10, Clarito 6, Santillan 6, David 3, Malonzo 2, Caracut 0, Manaytay 0.
Quarters: 22-22; 60-45; 93-85; 118-107.
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