Barangay Ginebra San Miguel withstood a spirited challenge from the Phoenix Fuel Masters on Sunday and came out on top, 109-96, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The win puts Ginebra at solo fourth in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup standings at 4-2. Phoenix, on the other hand, drops to 3-3 for joint sixth place with the Terrafirma Dyip.
What Happened?
The first quarter saw some hot shooting and fine playmaking from both teams, with Ginebra taking it by the slimmest of margins, 26-24. It was nip-and-tuck as well for much of the second quarter until Phoenix uncorked 11 unanswered at the end to turn a 48-45 deficit into a 56-48 halftime lead.
Phoenix continued its hot shooting in the second half, building a couple of nine-point leads in the early goings of the quarter—the last one at 68-59 at the 6:41 mark. A quick 11-2 run wiped out that advantage before Ginebra took a slim 77-75 lead going into the fourth canto.
A 10-4 start then gave Phoenix back the lead, 85-81, and it proved to be the Fuel Masters’ final push. Ginebra answered with a 12-0 run to take a 93-85 lead and another 9-0 spurt to build a 104-89 cushion en route to the win.
Who Stood Out?
Fresh off hitting the game-winner in Ginebra’s win over the Magnolia Hotshots, RJ Abarrientos was at it again against Phoenix, tallying 28 big points on top of 5 rebounds and 3 assists. Impressively, he shot 9-for-14 overall and was 7-for-11 from downtown. Ralph Cu also shined in limited minutes, coming off the Ginebra bench in the third quarter and hitting two triples to spark the barangay’s rally.
Phoenix, on the other hand, leaned on the 21-point, 21-rebound double-double of import James Dickey III, who added 9 assists while shooting 7-for-13 overall. Ken Tuffin was superb, too, coming off the bench to deliver 18 points on 6-for-8 shooting from deep.
3 Keys to the Game
- NSD. For a good chunk of the middle quarters, Phoenix looked poised to beat Ginebra for the first time since 2023. But Ginebra’s never-say-die spirit kicked in at the midway point of the third quarter, and it propelled the crowd favorites to a strong finishing kick.
- Strong finish. Ginebra outscored Phoenix 50-28 after the latter built a 68-59 advantage in the third. Importantly, the barangay scored 32 points in the final frame to the Fuel Masters’ 21 to underscore their strong finish.
- Bench play. Ironically, Phoenix’s subs outscored their counterparts from Ginebra, 40-19. But Tim Cone’s reserves stepped up when they were most needed—when Ginebra was down in the third quarter and looked flat. Cu, in particular, was the biggest spark, with Nards Pinto also providing quality minutes.
Next Up for the PBA
Tuesday, April 14, 2026 | Ynares Center – Antipolo
NLEX Road Warriors vs. Macau Black Knights (5:15 p.m.)
TNT Tropang 5G vs. Blackwater Bossing (7:30 p.m.)
