Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and the San Miguel Beermen continued their PBA Philippine Cup semifinals series on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena, with the former seeking survival and the latter looking to seize complete control. But with Scottie Thompson leading the way, it was Ginebra that got the job done, pulling out a 105-91 rout to level the series at 2-2.
What Happened?
San Miguel got going first, leaning on a barrage of triples—seven in total, to be exact—to build as much as a 16-point first-quarter lead. But Ginebra rallied just as quickly, outscoring the Beermen, 30-19, to take a slim 56-55 lead at halftime.
The Beermen regained the lead at the end of three with a 20-16 third quarter marked by physical play and ferocious defense. Staring at a 1-3 series deficit, Ginebra turned up the defensive pressure in the fourth quarter while getting going offensively, with Scottie Thompson doing it all on both ends. In all, the Gin Kings outgunned San Miguel, 33-16, to notch the all-important win.
Who Stood Out?
Scottie Thompson simply took control of Game 4, showcasing his trademark all-around game while also aggressively looking for his shot. The Gilas mainstay finished with a game-high 35 points on top of 11 rebounds and 11 assists in a virtuoso performance. He also had plenty of help, with Jayson David and Norbert Torres coming off the bench to chip in 12 and 13, respectively, and Japeth Aguilar putting up 14 points and 6 boards.
San Miguel, meanwhile, drew strong games from their starting backcourt of CJay Perez and Chris Ross, who had 22 and 20, respectively, and accounted for six of San Miguel’s seven first-quarter triples. Jericho Cruz came off the bench to add 15 markers on top of 6 rebounds and 2 assists.
3 Keys to the Game
- Defense. Ginebra’s swarming defense changed the tenor of Game 4, first in the second quarter, when Ginebra erased San Miguel’s early 16-point lead. Then, the crowd darlings stepped up their defensive effort even more in the fourth to limit the usually prolific San Miguel offense to only 16 markers. In all, Team NSD held the Beermen to just 35.8% from the field while also forcing 16 turnovers.
- Scottie Thompson. This Ginebra team is no doubt Scottie Thompson’s team now, and in Game 4, he carried his squad in every way imaginable. His 13 first-quarter points kept Ginebra afloat in the face of San Miguel’s sizzling start from downtown. Then, in the fourth, the former MVP fired 9 points and issued 3 dimes to lead Team NSD’s furious finish.
- Starter play. With Scottie Thompson leading the way, Ginebra’s starting unit outplayed their counterparts from San Miguel, outscoring them, 70-58. Thompson, of course, fired half of those points, but Aguilar accounted for 14, while RJ Abarrientos, getting the surprise start, added 11.
Next Up for the PBA
The PBA Philippine Cup will return to the Mall of Asia Arena for a pair of Game 5s. The TNT Tropang 5G and Meralco Bolts will open the Wednesday doubleheader, followed by Ginebra and San Miguel facing off again in the nightcap.
Meralco vs. TNT (5:15 p.m.)
Ginebra vs. San Miguel (7:30 p.m.)
