RJ Abarrientos had “one of those days” in Barangay Ginebra San Miguel’s Game 4 loss to the San Miguel Beermen on Friday. The reigning Rookie of the Year struggled all game long and was on the bench when Ginebra fought back furiously down the stretch.
Overall, Abarrientos finished with just 7 points on 2-for-13 shooting from the field, along with 1 rebound, in 28 minutes of playing time.
One of Those Days for RJ Abarrientos
In a crucial closeout game, with Ginebra just one win away from securing a PBA Governors’ Cup semifinals berth, RJ Abarrientos struggled to find his rhythm offensively. However, he refused to blame anyone for his shortcomings.
“Wala naman. Ganun talaga, may mga ganung araw talaga so just need to move on and nakita naman natin na talo tayo nung third quarter,” he said.
Ginebra lost the third quarter big in Game 4, giving up 46 points, including 22 in a row at one point, while scoring just 18.
“’Yun na ‘yung usual na nangyayari sa amin kapag second half. So, ‘yun nga sabi ko, may chance pa rin naman so we just need to move on and regroup,” Abarrientos added.
During the third quarter, when the Beermen erupted for 46 points, Ginebra could have used Abarrientos’ usual offensive production to help keep the game competitive. However, the Best Player of the Conference in the last Commissioner’s Cup struggled to provide the scoring spark his team needed.
RJ Abarrientos Welcomes Do-or-Die Challenge
Prior to Game 4, the former FEU Tamaraw had been averaging an impressive 19.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game.
“Ganun talaga, may mga ganung araw, we just need to move on and ito yung binigay sa amin, do-or-die so tatanggapin namin,” he emphasized.
That winner-take-all Game 5 happens tonight, and RJ Abarrientos will have the opportunity to bounce back in what could be one of the most important games of his young career.
