BARANGAY Ginebra is on the threshold of its first PBA Philippine Cup crown in 13 years, beating TNT, 98-88, in Game Four at the Angeles University Foundation Sports Arena and Cultural Center on Sunday night.
LA Tenorio scored 22 points and put the finishing touches to a Ginebra win with crucial baskets in the fourth. The Gin Kings are now up, 3-1, following a Game Three defeat they suffered in lopsided fashion.
Ginebra can close the best-of-seven finals series and win their first Philippine Cup crown since 2007 on Wednesday night at the Smart Clark Giga City bubble.
Tenorio buried two three-pointers in a frantic exchange of triples with RR Pogoy late in the fourth. The Ginebra veteran also hit a lay-up for a 10-point lead, enough for Barangay Ginebra to seal the win and prevent a collapse from 18 points down early in the period.
“It’s just great having LA and Stanley (Pringle) together, those two guys and then Scottie (Thompson), being able to hit big shots as well,” said Ginebra coach Tim Cone, referring to the team’s closers for the entire duration of the bubble.
Japeth Aguilar had 22 points, and Pringle finished with 16 points, including a triple that pushed Ginebra’s lead to 82-64 with 10:16 in the fourth.
The Tropang Giga now face elimination with the defeat. Compounding their woes is the prospect of missing Jayson Castro on Wednesday after the TNT guard severely hurt his knee early in the third from an attack to the basket.
RR Pogoy carried the fight with his 34 points, steering his team with back-to-back triples that sliced the gap to 88-85, 2:45 in the fourth. Pogoy drained another one, 91-88, but Tenorio was just too much for TNT.
The PBA Iron Man was also key in a late second quarter finish, making six of Ginebra’s last eight points to enter halftime with a 49-39 advantage. He picked up where he left off with five straight points to start the third, 54-39.
Tenorio was also part of one of the highlights of the match, lobbing the ball to Aguilar for a dunk that sent Ginebra to a 69-54 lead in the third quarter.
Scottie Thompson had a near triple-double, finishing with 11 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists, while Prince Caperal and surprise starter Joe Devance had 12 and 10 rebounds respectively.
Poy Erram had 19 points and 16 rebounds, and Troy Rosario contributed 16 points, nine rebounds, and six assists in a losing effort for TNT.
The scores:
Barangay Ginebra 98 – Tenorio 22, J. Aguilar 22, Pringle 16, Thompson 11, Devance 8, Dillinger 7, Caperal 6, Chan 6, Mariano 0.
TNT 88 – Pogoy 34, Erram 19, Rosario 16, Enciso 10, Reyes 3, Semerad 2, Castro 2, Vosotros 2, De Leon, Montalbo 0, Washington 0.
Quarters: 17-14; 49-39; 76-60; 98-88.
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