Ginebra gains round of eight
Justin Brownlee and the Ginebra squad march on.
GINEBRA needed some firepower and got a huge boost from a veteran gunner.
Jeff Chan came up with a vintage performance in front of a sizeable crowd on Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum, nailing four triples to help lift the struggling Gin Kings past Rain or Shine, 104-93, and into the quarterfinals of the PBA Governors’ Cup.
The 39-year-old Chan shot 5 for 8, finishing with 15 points to help the Gin Kings overcome a gritty stand from the also-ran Elasto Painters.
Justin Brownlee came up with a 25 points and 10 rebounds, while Christian Standhardinger added 20 points as Ginebra finished the elimination round with a 6-5 win-loss record, earning a place in the round of eight.
Henry Walker scored 34, while Beau Belga and Andrei Caracut had 12 points each for Rain or Shine, which bowed out with a 3-8 win-loss record.
Hotshots stay hot
Mike Harris continues his solid play.
THE Magnolia Hotshots simply won’t lift their foot off the accelerator, the league leaders steamrolling past the hapless Alaska Aces, 118-91, on Sunday in the PBA Governors’ Cup.
Mike Harris, who played for Alaska under Alex Compton, came up with a huge game against Jeff Cariaso’s Aces and lifted the Hotshots to a 9-1 win-loss record.
Harris had 38 points and 10 rebounds, Ian Sangalang scored 14 points, while Jio Jalalon and Jackson Corpuz added 12 each or Magnolia, which has one more game in the prelims.
Olu Ashaolu had a tough outing and appeared headed for a single-digit performance until the closing minutes. The 33-year-old Nigerian finished with 12 points as Alaska, which was hoping to boost its bidfor a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals, ended up with a 6-5 record.
RK Ilagan led Alaska with 14 points.
PBA crowd
THE PBA Sunday crowd.
WITH COVID-19 restrictions eased, the PBA hosted its biggest crowd during the pandemic.
On a Sunday featuring Ginebra and Magnolia, the Araneta Coliseum drew 6,502 spectators.
That surpassed the 2021 Christmas Day game crowd of over 4,800 that saw the Hotshots defeat the Gin Kings.
This time Ginebra played its final elimination round game against also-ran Rain or Shine, while league-leading Magnolia took on Alaska.
The league last week announced it is welcoming full capacity crowds under Alert Level 1. The Big Dome could seat more than 16,000.
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