MANILA — Ralph Cu delivered a breakout performance off the bench, draining five three-pointers to power Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings to a commanding 114-90 victory over Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, tightening their grip on the upper tier of the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup Sunday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Cu scored 15 points on a sizzling 5-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc to earn Player of the Game honors, as the Gin Kings improved to an 8-3 win-loss record with a dominant second-half surge.
Justin Brownlee spearheaded Ginebra’s offense with 40 points, including six triples, while rookie Rhon Jay Abarrientos added 23 markers. Earl Scottie Thompson and Jeth Troy Rosario chipped in 17 and 13 points, respectively, in a balanced scoring display.
Ginebra broke the game open after a tight first quarter, where they held a slim 21-20 lead, before igniting in the second period behind Abarrientos and Cu to seize a 51-42 halftime advantage.
The Gin Kings never looked back in the second half, unleashing a barrage of outside shooting led by Cu and Brownlee as the lead ballooned to as much as 26 points late in the fourth quarter.
Jaylen Johnson paced Rain or Shine with 16 points, while Gian Mamuyac added 14. Anton Asistio and Adrian Nocum contributed 13 and 10 points, respectively, as the Elasto Painters dropped to a 7-3 slate.
In the opening game, Meralco Bolts secured their second straight win with a convincing 108-93 rout of Blackwater Bossing.
Chris Banchero came off the bench to tally 14 points, including a four-pointer, along with eight assists to be named Player of the Game as the Bolts climbed to a 7-3 record.
Marvin Jones led Meralco with 26 points and 12 assists, while CJ Cansino and Kier John Quinto added 12 points each. Aaron Black and Chris Newsome chipped in 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Robert Upshaw III posted a double-double of 31 points and 12 rebounds for Blackwater, while Sedrick Barefield and Paul Zamar contributed 16 and 11 points, respectively, as the Bossing slid to a 2-9 record./PN
