That Barangay Ginebra San Miguel still has a chance to make it to the 2024–25 PBA Philippine Cup Finals is something of a miracle. They haven’t shot the ball particularly well all series long, their defence has been spotty in long stretches, and their bench has regularly been outclassed by their counterparts from the San Miguel Beermen.
Even worse, two of Ginebra’s key players—RJ Abarrientos and Japeth Aguilar—have struggled mightily, with the former firing blanks most of the time and the latter just struggling to even be in the game due to constant foul trouble and, in Game 6, cramping issues.
In fact, Aguilar was on the bench for most of the fourth quarter of Game 6 and was a mere spectator when Abarrientos nearly threw away the game with an errant pass on Ginebra’s penultimate possession, down 86–85. The crowd darlings would’ve been eliminated already had LA Tenorio not saved them from the jaws of defeat with a cold-blooded dagger three—the kind Ginebra and its faithful are expecting Abarrientos to make consistently.
Tim Cone, Ginebra Sticking with RJ Abarrientos Through Thick and Thin
Despite Abarrientos’s monumental struggles this series, Ginebra fans can expect him to continue getting heavy minutes, even after Tenorio’s stirring reminder in Game 6 that he still has plenty left in that 40-year-old tank. Tinyente, according to Cone, should know why—because he’s been there, too.
“We’re a coaching staff that really tries to trust guys, that no matter how much they struggle, we’re gonna try to send a message, ‘We’re gonna stay with you,’ and that’s one of the reasons LA hasn’t gotten as much time as he did, because we’re still trying that with RJ, that we’re gonna stay with you through your mistakes,” Cone explained to reporters after Ginebra’s epic Tenorio-led win in Game 6. “We’ve done it with LA when he was younger, we did it with Scottie [Thompson], and that’s just something [where] he’s [Abarrientos] gonna go through some bad games, he’s gonna make some mistakes. But the message is, ‘We believe in you, and we’re gonna continue to throw you out there, and you’re gonna have your opportunities.’”
Game 7 will be one huge opportunity for the rookie, and the Ginebra faithful can only hope that Abarrientos repays that oversized trust Cone and his staff are giving their young court general.
Ginebra Hoping to Get Japeth Aguilar Ready for Big Minutes
Aside from foul trouble, Ginebra’s veteran big man apparently also dealt with fatigue issues, according to Cone, which were compounded by cramps—particularly in the second half. Cone, though, is empathising with Aguilar, pointing out that guarding June Mar Fajardo is no easy task.
“He’s had some fatigue issues through the series, and we’re just trying to keep his energy levels up. Again, like I said, trying to match the minutes of June Mar is really difficult because he gives up 30, 40 pounds, so trying to battle is like pushing a wall all day. You keep pushing that wall all day, you’re gonna get tired. So, it’s really on us, the staff, to get him ready…,” Cone said of the 38-year-old Gilas mainstay.
Getting Aguilar fit and ready for Game 7 would be huge for Ginebra, even with Troy Rosario’s gallant stand in Game 6. And it’s largely because he still is the team’s best shot at slowing down the eight-time MVP in a game where he’ll surely try to impose his will every second he’s on the floor.
It will be a tall order for Cone and his staff no doubt, but at least Aguilar is a veteran, one who knows what it takes to win these types of high-stakes games. Abarrientos, the rookie, is a different case, but he certainly has what it takes to make a difference in Game 7.
So, the question is, will Aguilar and Abarrientos rise to the challenge?
