BARANGAY Ginebra exits the PBA bubble as champions.
The Gin Kings leaned on crucial plays in the fourth quarter to defeat an undermanned TNT side, 82-78, on Wednesday night and capture the Philippine Cup crown at the Angeles University Foundation Sports Arena and Cultural Center.
Japeth Aguilar and Stanley Pringle came through in the clutch in Game Five while LA Tenorio put the finishing touches to his first-ever career all-Filipino title by orchestrating the final Ginebra drive inside the Smart Clark Giga City bubble.
Ginebra won its first all-Filipino championship since 2007 in the only conference of the year, and in a 2020 season like no other.
It was also Ginebra's 13th title overall, tying fabled Crispa for fourth most in league history. The title also gave coach Tim Cone his 23rd championship in the PBA.
Ginebra claimed the title with Aguilar, Pringle, and Tenorio erasing a five-point deficit, 73-68, against a gallant stand by a shorthanded TNT squad that missed Bobby Ray Parks and Jayson Castro to injuries.
Aguilar scored a career-high 32 points to carry the Gin Kings all game long, with Pringle joining the fray after his shooting slump in the first three quarters of the match, tallying 13 makers.
Tenorio added 10 points and six assists, while putting a huge exclamation point to the title with his lob pass to Aguilar that resulted to a dunk for an 80-73 lead with 1:56 left in the game.
Tenorio was later named as the finals MVP for his play.
Confetti rained on the court following the buzzer as the celebration ensued on the court but without the legions of Ginebra fans at the venue.
Still, it was still a special moment for the team, who was just 11 months removed from their Governors’ Cup title last season.
“A little bit of a surreal feeling. Everything is different… But our guys really battled for this,” said Barangay Ginebra coach Tim Cone.
TNT looked poised to extend the series into, at least a game, with the Tropang Giga gaining an early 17-10 lead. It became a seesaw affair afterwards, with Pringle leading the charge in a 7-0 blast that pushed Ginebra’s lead to 64-58.
The Tropang Giga responded with an 11-0 run with Simon Enciso hitting back-to-back triples in the end of that run for a five-point lead that turned out to be their last stand.
RR Pogoy carried the fight for TNT with 23 points, as Poy Erram delivered 18 points and 15 rebounds, but the injuries to key players was just too much for the Tropang Giga.
The scores:
Barangay Ginebra 82 – J. Aguilar 32, Pringle 13, Tenorio 10, Dillinger 8, Thompson 6, Mariano 5, Caperal 3, Chan 3, Devance 2, Tolentino 0.
TNT 78 – Pogoy 23, Erram 18, Enciso 17, Rosario 12, De Leon 6, Vosotros 2, Carey 0, Montalbo 0, Reyes 0, Washington 0.
Quarters: 19-19; 38-36; 55-56; 82-78.
___
For more PBA updates, click here.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
