BARANGAY Ginebra walloped NLEX, 111-75, on Tuesday to clinch a semifinal berth in the PBA Governors’ Cup at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
The Gin Kings ran away with the win in the fourth quarter to arrange a semifinal duel with archrival Magnolia, which beat Blackwater earlier in the day to move on to the next round.
Japeth Aguilar had 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Justin Brownlee posted a triple-double of 13 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists for the top-seed Kings.
“I guess that sets up Manila Clasico,” said Barangay Ginebra coach Tim Cone. “When Magnolia won earlier, we knew we had to come out and make sure we got this one also. We don’t want them to get an edge or extra preparation. We need to match their win.”
Greg Slaughter also had 16 points and seven rebounds for Ginebra, which led by as many as 36 points in the match.
The Kings outscored the Road Warriors, 35-13, in the fourth quarter while also posting a 15-0 run to hold to an 89-62 lead late in the game.
Aaron Fuller had 25 points and 12 rebounds, the only double-digit score for NLEX to end its season that saw them lose prospective Rookie of the Year awardee Kiefer Ravena due to a Fiba suspension.
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