Barangay Ginebra San Miguel made sure to make its first game ever at the Ynares Center in Montalban one to remember as it rolled past the Terrafirma Dyip, 111-103, in a match that was more lopsided than the final score indicates. The win is Ginebra’s third in a row and moves it to joint third in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup standings alongside the Meralco Bolts and the TNT Tropang 5G, who won earlier on Saturday.
What Happened?
Three early RJ Abarrientos treys propelled Ginebra to a strong opening frame, which it won 28-23. Terrafirma, though, didn’t back down and instead kept in step with Ginebra in the second canto, scoring 27 points to the barangay’s 28 to enter halftime just down, 56-50.
The crowd darlings then turned things up in the third, outscoring the Dyip 17-8 in the first six minutes after intermission to build a 15-point cushion. Ginebra continued the onslaught as the trey ball kept dropping, building as much as a 23-point lead before ending the third with a 91-71 advantage. Tim Cone’s wards cruised in the final frame, with only a late run by Terrafirma—in part because Cone fielded his rarely used reserves—making the final scoreline closer than the game really was.
Who Stood Out?
Justin Brownlee had a hyper-efficient outing to lead Ginebra, pouring in 28 points on 11-for-15 shooting overall and 5-for-6 from beyond the arc. RJ Abarrientos had that hot start en route to 17 markers and 5 assists, while Stephen Holt led that third-quarter barrage with four triples on his way to a 17-point night.
Jerrick Ahanmisi tried his best for Terrafirma, tallying 27 points and two fourth-quarter four-pointers to move the Dyip closer. Reserve Shawn Umali also had himself a game, dropping a career-high 15 points in the loss.
3 Keys to the Game
- Three-point shooting. Ginebra made it rain threes in Montalban on Saturday night, converting 18 of its 40 attempts from downtown for a 45% clip. The crowd darlings were particularly prolific in the third, where they made five triples and a four-pointer to build a 23-point cushion. In contrast, Terrafirma was just 8-for-27 from distance.
- Second chance points. While the barangay shot the ball well by and large, it still won the rebounding battle, 47-40, and got 19 offensive rebounds to Terrafirma’s 14. This resulted in a 21-11 advantage for the Gin Kings in second chance points.
- Starters’ production. Ginebra’s starters outscored the Dyip’s, 80-63, as only Japeth Aguilar (8 points) didn’t break into double digits. The difference was most pronounced in the import matchup, where Brownlee vastly outplayed Mubashar Ali, outscoring him 28-14 as the latter just couldn’t get anything going.
Next Up for the PBA
Sunday, April 19, 2026 | Ynares Center – Antipolo
NLEX Road Warriors vs. San Miguel Beermen (5:15 p.m.)
Magnolia Hotshots vs. Converge FiberXers (7:30 p.m.)
