Barangay Ginebra San Miguel is back in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals after a rousing 118-107 victory over the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters on Sunday at a packed Ynares Center in Antipolo.
What Happened?
Nine early points by Adrian Nocum and a couple of triples by Stephen Holt highlighted a tight first quarter that saw the teams end up tied at 22. Ginebra, though, created some separation in the second, outscoring Rain or Shine, 38-23, as Justin Brownlee and RJ Abarrientos combined for 20, and the bench—Ralph Cu, Isaac Go, and Jeremiah Gray—added 11.
But, like in Game 5, the Elasto Painters came out of halftime pushing the pace, this time unleashing a 17-4 run in the first minutes of the third to trim a 60-45 deficit to 64-62. Ginebra then fired back, Abarrientos, Brownlee, and Cu hitting big shots to extend the lead back to 75-67. Rain or Shine threatened again at 78-76, only for the crowd darlings to finish the third with a 93-85 cushion behind JB and Abarrientos.
That trend—Rain or Shine cutting the lead to a single possession and Ginebra pulling away again—continued in the final frame, with the Elasto Painters threatening a final time at 100-97. Brownlee then hit a three to start a backbreaking 10-3 run to seal the deal.
Who Stood Out?
For Ginebra, their Big Three came to play for sure, with Brownlee putting up 31 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 dimes; Abarrientos tallying 30 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists; and Thompson finishing with 16 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists. The bench made a difference as well, with Cu firing 11 on three triples, Go adding 9 on two treys, and Gray contributing 5 with a three-ball.
For Rain or Shine, Gian Mamuyac showed out, leading that third-quarter charge and making plays in the second half. He wound up with 25 points. Adrian Nocum also played well, notching 16 points, 3 rebounds, and 7 assists, as well as some spunk. Anton Asistio came alive as well, firing 10 off the bench on a couple of four-pointers—all in the second half.
3 Keys to the Game
- Three-point shooting. In a battle of two teams highly reliant on the three-ball, it was Ginebra that got hot in Game 6, shooting 16-for-35 from the arc compared to Rain or Shine’s 11-for-34. More than the 15-point advantage, it was the timing of these treys that really mattered, with Ginebra seemingly hitting one or two just as the Elasto Painters were making their move.
- Offensive rebounding. A 16-12 advantage in offensive rebounding might not be much, but it helped Ginebra control the tempo, as every offensive carom meant one fewer chance for Rain or Shine to get out and run. In short, the offensive rebounding helped the Gin Kings control pace.
- JB and RJ. In Game 5, Abarrientos and Brownlee combined for 63 big points. In Game 6, they went off for 61 and hit several big shots, including a few that doused Rain or Shine rallies.
Next Up for the PBA
Wednesday, June 3, 2026 | Smart Araneta Coliseum
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel vs. TNT Tropang 5G (7:30 p.m.)
