PBA Commissioner’s Cup action on Wednesday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo shook up the standings for sure. Here is a recap of what happened and what each game meant:
Terrafirma Shocks TNT Behind Mark Nonoy Show
Mark Nonoy put on a show on Wednesday, firing on all cylinders to lead the Terrafirma Dyip to a shock 117-108 victory over the erstwhile streaking TNT Tropang Giga.
Nonoy finished with a career-high 33 points on a sizzling 10-for-13 clip highlighted by a pair of four-pointers and five three-pointers on six attempts. He was particularly torrid in the second half, when Terrafirma stretched a 61-50 halftime lead to as big as 103-72 in the fourth. Brandon Edwards did a little bit of everything for the Dyip, putting up 19 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists. Louie Sangalang added 16.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson tried carrying the fight for TNT with 41 points but was no match for Terrafirma’s red-hot shooting from downtown (14-for-29). Calvin Oftana chipped in 17.
With the victory, Terrafirma ends the conference on a high note. TNT, in contrast, dropped from first in the standings to sixth.
Up next:
TNT vs. Phoenix Fuel Masters on January 24 (Ynares Center)
The scores:
Terrafirma (117) – Nonoy 33, Edwards 19, Sangalang 16, Carino 10, Melecio 10, Ferrer 9, Pringle 8, Manuel 6, Hernandez 4, Catapusan 2
TNT (108) – Hollis-Jefferson 41, Oftana 17, Nambatac 12, Castro 11, Pogoy 9, Galinato 5, Erram 5, Razon 4, Khobuntin 2, Aurin 2
Ginebra Wallops Rain or Shine, Moves Up the Standings
Scottie Thompson came out aggressive against the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters and helped set the tone for Barangay Ginebra San Miguel’s spirited 48-minute effort en route to a crucial 120-92 victory.
Thompson ended up with 22 points—including 8 early ones in the first six minutes—to go along his 6 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. Justin Brownlee also came alive for Ginebra with 29 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 assists. Troy Rosario and RJ Abarrientos chipped in 14 apiece, while Japeth Aguilar had 12. Stephen Holt added 8 points and 10 boards.
Deon Thompson had 23 points and 15 rebounds for the Elasto Painters, who shot only 40% from the field and was outgunned all game long. Anton Assistio added 14 on 4-for-5 from downtown.
Ginebra and Rain or Shine essentially exchanged places in the standings after Wednesday, with the former’s win moving them up fifth and the latter’s loss sending them to seventh.
Up next:
Ginebra vs. Meralco Bolts on January 29 (Smart Araneta Coliseum)
Rain or Shine vs. NLEX Road Warriors on January 25 (Ynares Center)
The Scores:
Ginebra (120) –Brownlee 29, S. Thompson 22, Rosario 14, Abarrientos 14, J. Aguilar 12, Malonzo 9, Holt 8, R. Aguilar 4, Mariano 3, Pessumal 3, Ahanmisi 2
Rain or Shine (92) – D. Thompson 23, Asistio 14, Nocum 13, Clarito 12, Tiongson 7, Belga 7, Caracut 6, Malonzo 4, Lemetti 3, Demusis 2, Santillan 1
PBA Commissioner’s Cup: Next on Tap
The PBA Commissioner’s Cup will continue on Friday, also at the Ynares Center. It will be TNT versus Phoenix in the first game and the San Miguel Beermen and Converge FiberXers in the second game.
