The #5 Barangay Ginebra San Miguel (2-2) erased a 16-point deficit and outlasted the #1 San Miguel Beermen (2-2) for a convincing 105-91 victory. Meanwhile, the #2 TNT Tropang 5G (3-1) surged in the second half to defeat the #8 Meralco Bolts (1-3) in Game 4 of the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals on January 11.
Here are the players who made the biggest impact and the stats to prove it:
TOP PERFORMERS OF THE DAY:
Earl Scottie Thompson GIN SG 35 PTS | 11 REB | 11 AST | 63.7 FPS
Thompson was outstanding on offense, hitting 13-of-18 from the field, including 5-of-7 from deep, to record the best scoring game of his career. He also reached double-digit marks in both rebounds and assists for the third time this conference and became the only local player to post such numbers in the last 36 years.
John Paul Erram TNT C 27 PTS | 9 REB | 3 BLK | 48.8 FPS
With several key players dealing with injuries, JP rose to the occasion, going 8-for-9 from two and 8-for-10 from the line to lead all scorers while also delivering on defense.
June Mar Fajardo SMB C 9 PTS | 20 REB | 5 AST | 43.5 FPS
JMF continues to struggle offensively and has now gone 4-for-22 from the field in his last two games, but he continues to dominate the boards, recording at least 19 rebounds for the fifth consecutive game.
Jayson David GIN SF 12 PTS | 7 AST | 3 STL | 39.1 FPS
David came up big on both ends. Offensively, he finished with his sixth double-digit scoring performance of the conference, along with a conference-high in assists. He was also a difference-maker on defense, racking up five stocks. Ginebra will need him to continue playing at this level to have a better chance of upsetting the defending Philippine Cup champions.
Clifford Marion Hodge MER PF 17 PTS | 8 REB | 1 BLK | 32.6 FPS
Hodge remains a reliable presence in the paint, averaging 6.7 rebounds in the playoffs despite an inconsistent offensive production.
Christopher Clark Banchero MER PG 19 PTS | 5 REB | 2 STL | 32.0 FPS
CB kept rolling, shooting 7-of-9 from two and hitting the 16-point mark for the fourth time in five games.
Rhon Jay Abarrientos GIN PG 11 PTS | 4 REB | 5 AST | 30.3 FPS
RJ had a really tough time offensively, shooting just 5-for-18 from the field and finishing with his least productive scoring effort over his last eight games. Even so, he remains the second-best scorer for Ginebra in their series, averaging 16.5 points per game.
Jericho Xavier Cruz SMB SG 15 PTS | 6 REB | 2 STL | 30.2 FPS
Limited to just 2 points in Game 3, Cruz answered back in a big way with his fifth 15-point outing of the conference.
Norberto Brian Torres GIN C 13 PTS | 3 AST | 2 BLK | 28.7 FPS
Torres provided a big spark from the bench, hitting a couple of threes while also standing out on defense. He’s been an excellent addition for Ginebra this conference, scoring in double-figures five times.
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE DAY:
Kier John Quinto MER SF 3 PTS | 5 REB | 4 AST
Bong had a rough offensive game, going 1-for-12 from the field and posting his conference-worst scoring performance.
