Two struggling teams—Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and Phoenix Fuel Masters—faced off to conclude Sunday’s PBA double-header at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion. It was a must-win for both teams as the losing squad would fall out of the magic eight as the league takes a three-week break for Gilas Pilipinas. And, after some tense moments, Ginebra ultimately pulled out a 102-93 victory to improve to 3-4 in a tie with the Meralco Bolts for the eighth seed. Phoenix dropped to 2-7.
What Happened?
Ginebra got off to a strong start, uncorking a 17-2 run bridging the first and second quarters to build a double-digit lead. The crowd darlings extended it to as much as 18 in the second, but Phoenix fought back to nudge closer, 50-42, after 24 minutes of action. The Fuel Masters continued eating away at Ginebra’s lead and finally moved ahead early in the fourth, even erecting an 84-77 lead at the halfway mark of the payoff period. But Ginebra went on a 19-7 run to seize back control before finally notching the hard-fought win.
Who Stood Out?
Scottie Thompson and RJ Abarrientos shone brightest for Ginebra, with the former putting up 19 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals and leading that end-of-game rally. Abarrientos fired 25 off the bench, including a booming triple that gave Ginebra a 93-91 lead down the stretch.
On the other side was Ricci Rivero, who finished with a career-best 28 points and looked on the verge of leading Phoenix to a huge upset. He added 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block to continue what has been a breakout conference.
3 Keys to the Game
- Scottie Thompson. The former MVP took command in the final six minutes of the game. He repeatedly got into the teeth of Phoenix’s defense to manufacture points for Ginebra just as it needed it the most.
- Poise. Phoenix was looking good early in the fourth quarter after taking an 84-77 lead. But the crowd favorites didn’t panic and instead leaned on its defense and its MVP to gradually eat away at that lead. Then, when they retook the advantage, they knew what to do to protect it up until the final buzzer.
- Timely three-point shooting. Ginebra hit 11 triples for the game, but it was the timing of three of those makes that spelled the difference. Norbert Torres, Abarrientos, and Stephen Holt all hit triples to fuel that backbreaking 19-7 run that put Ginebra in the driver’s seat for good.
Next Up for the PBA
The PBA Philippine Cup will take a three-week break to give way to Gilas Pilipinas’ November FIBA window against Guam. The league will return on December 5 with an explosive double-header at Ynares Center in Antipolo featuring four of the top teams in the standings. Opening the twin bill will be the Converge FiberXers taking on the Magnolia Hotshots, followed by the TNT Tropang 5G facing off with the San Miguel Beermen.
Magnolia vs. Converge (5:15 p.m.)
TNT vs. San Miguel (7:30 p.m.)
