Barangay Ginebra San Miguel beat the Magnolia Hotshots, 91-89, on Friday night at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in another installment of the famed Manila Clasico. And, like in their recent wins, the barangay prevailed on a game winner—this time from RJ Abarrientos. With the win, Ginebra improved to 3-2 in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup, while Magnolia dropped to 2-3.
What Happened?
The two teams went at it in a tight, defensive-oriented first quarter that ended in an 18-all deadlock. Then, Ginebra opened up with a 32-17 second quarter to take a 50-35 lead into intermission.
The Hotshots, though, wiped out that 15-point lead in the third, unleashing a 29-11 scoring run in the first eight minutes after halftime to take a 64-61 lead. Ginebra then outscored Magnolia, 8-2, in the final minutes of the third to take a 69-66 lead into the fourth.
The barangay looked headed for victory after taking an 82-74 lead on a Scottie Thompson layup at the halfway mark of the fourth quarter. But Magnolia had one final rally, tying things up at 89 on three heart-stopping freebies from Mark Barroca with eight ticks left. The barangay then ran a perfect after-timeout play to pry Abarrientos open for the go-ahead lay-in. A defensive stop later gave Ginebra the thrilling win.
Who Stood Out?
Ginebra’s big three of Thompson, Abarrientos, and import Justin Brownlee carried much of the load in this game. Brownlee led all scorers with 29 while adding 9 rebounds and 4 assists. Thompson had a 24-point, 10-rebound double-double, while Abarrientos finished with 19 points and the game winner.
For Magnolia, stud forward Zav Lucero was everywhere, putting up 19 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks while also forcing Brownlee to just 9-for-24 shooting. Mark Barroca had himself a game as well, finishing with 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists, aside from hitting those game-tying freebies.
3 Keys to the Game
- Ginebra’s big three. Brownlee, Thompson, and Abarrientos scored 72 of Ginebra’s 91 points and made all the big plays, including Abarrientos’ game winner. They also scored 14 of the barangay’s 22 fourth-quarter points.
- Turnovers. Magnolia turned the ball over; Ginebra didn’t. For the game, the Hotshots coughed the ball up 20 times, leading to 17 points off turnovers for Ginebra. In contrast, the Gin Kings turned the ball over only 7 times, resulting in 4 points off turnovers.
- Endgame defense. In the end, this game turned on Ginebra’s ability to execute and Magnolia’s inability to do so in the teams’ respective final possessions. Ginebra’s defense deserves a lot of credit for that, forcing Jerom Lastimosa into a tough bailout pass that landed in Norbert Torres’s hands instead.
Next Up for the PBA
Saturday, April 11, 2026 | Ninoy Aquino Stadium
TNT Tropang 5G vs. Terrafirma Dyip (5:15 p.m.)
Meralco Bolts vs. Macau Black Knights (7:30 p.m.)
