MANILA — Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings locked up the No. 2 seed in the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals after surviving a late TNT Tropang 5G fightback for a 93-86 victory on Sunday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Gin Kings completed the elimination round with a 9-3 record and secured a crucial twice-to-beat advantage heading into the playoffs after leaning on the steady plays of Rhon Jay Abarrientos and resident import Justin Brownlee.
Abarrientos delivered 17 points built on two triples, along with four rebounds and three assists to earn Player of the Game honors, while Brownlee imposed his usual all-around brilliance with 18 points, 15 rebounds, and four assists.
Norbert Torres also provided a boost off the bench with 10 points for Ginebra, which dictated the tempo from the opening quarter and stretched its lead to as much as 15 points in the third period.
TNT, however, refused to go away quietly as the Tropang 5G unleashed a fourth-quarter rally behind Bol Manute Bol to cut the deficit to just 77-78.
But Brownlee, Abarrientos, and Jeth Troy Rosario came through with timely baskets down the stretch to preserve the victory and formalize Ginebra’s strong finish entering the quarterfinal round.
Bol carried TNT with a game-high 33 points and 11 rebounds, while Calvin Oftana chipped in 11 points as the Tropang 5G settled for the No. 8 seed heading into the playoffs.
Meanwhile, Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots clinched the No. 5 seed after overpowering Meralco Bolts, 93-76.
Magnolia broke the game open in the second quarter behind a decisive 16-0 blast anchored by veteran guard Paul Lee, whose outside shooting and aggressive drives turned a close contest into a double-digit cushion.
Meralco threatened in the third quarter after erupting for 35 points to slash the deficit to single digits, but the Hotshots regained control in the payoff period behind Clint Chapman and Javi Gomez de Liaño.
Chapman finished with 19 points and seven rebounds to lead Magnolia, while Lee added 13 points and Gomez de Liaño chipped in 10 markers as the Hotshots entered the playoffs with momentum./PN
