Barangay Ginebra San Miguel may have found its rhythm in the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals.
Held to under 90 points in Games 1–3, Ginebra finally breached the century mark for the first time in this series to beat the TNT Tropang Giga, 106-94, in Game 4 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum
Ginebra’s offensive explosion started in the very first quarter, with Justin Brownlee erupting for 15 early points on a four-pointer, a three-pointer, a pair of and-1s, and a short jumper. TNT, though, stayed within striking distance after one thanks to the hot hands of Calvin Oftana and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, who combined for 23 first-quarter points.
The Barangay continued its fine play in the second canto, as it built multiple double-digit leads to enter intermission ahead by a dozen, 54-42
Ginebra Withstands TNT Uprising with Strong Finishing Kick
The Tropa, though, fought back right after halftime, aggressively attacking and putting Ginebra in a penalty at the 6:54 mark behind Rey Nambatac and Hollis-Jefferson. TNT even got to within 69-65, only to see Brownlee and Stephen Holt make timely baskets to help the Barangay finish the third quarter with an 85-77 advantage.
The final frame was much more of the same, with TNT making runs and Ginebra hitting timely buckets—including a buzzer-beating four-pointer from Maverick Ahanmisi to give the Barangay a 101-90 cushion with under three minutes left. Holt then sealed the deal a possession later with a buzzer-beating triple to restore Ginebra’s lead to 104-92 with just 1:28 remaining in Game 4.
Brownlee led the charge for Ginebra with 34 points on 5-for-8 shooting from the two arcs combined. Ahanmisi, Holt, and Japeth Aguilar all chipped in with 18 markers apiece. Hollis-Jefferson paced TNT with 28 points and 9 boards, while Oftana had a series-best 26 points.
With the win, the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals is now just a best-of-three. The pivotal Game 5 will be on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Scores:
- GINEBRA 106 – Brownlee 34, Ahanmisi 18, J.Aguilar 18, Holt 18, Thompson 12, Abarrientos 5, Devance 1, Tenorio 0, Cu 0, Pinto 0
- TNT 92 – Hollis-Jefferson 28, Oftana 26, Nambatac 15, Castro 9, Pogoy 9, Erram 3, Aurin 2
