PBA: Ginebra fends off Titan Ultra to punch quarterfinal ticket

MANILA, April 27 ------ Barangay Ginebra San Miguel booked a spot in the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals after fending off a pesky Titan Ultra Giant Risers side, 119-107 at the Araneta Coliseum.

Justin Brownlee once again led the Gin Kings with 35 points, nine rebounds, four assists, two blocks, and one steal, as they notched their fifth straight victory, and seventh overall in nine games. RJ Abarrientos also caught fire with 25 points, highlighted by four three-pointers, while Scottie Thompson stuffed the stat sheet with 12 points, nine rebounds, nine assists, and three steals. “We needed this win. We needed to take care of business talaga,” said Abarrientos, who also added four rebounds and two assists.

It was Abarrientos and Brownlee who delivered for Ginebra, each scoring nine points each in the third period. Their surge allowed the Gin Kings to stretch their eight-point halftime lead to as much as 16, more than enough to put the game away. Titan Ultra, for its part, continued to struggle, absorbing its fourth straight defeat and seventh loss in nine games despite showing signs of life in the last period. Joshua Munzon spearheaded the Giant Risers with 20 points, 10 assists, six rebounds, and five steals. Rookie Bryan Sajonia added 17 points and two rebounds, while Fran Yu chipped in 13 points and eight assists in the loss.

The Scores:

Ginebra 119 – Brownlee 35, Abarrientos 25, Thompson 12, Rosario 12, Holt 10, Pinto 7, Go 6, Torres 5, Gray 3, Estil 2, Abis 2, Cu 0, R.Aguilar 0.

Titan Ultra 107 – Munzon 20, Sajonia 17, Gilmore 15, Yu 13, Ular 12, Dionidio 9, Balanza 8, Flores 4, Javillonar 4, Caralipio 3, Omega 2, Melecio 0, Pessumal 0, Ambohot 0.

Quarterscores: 22-16, 56-48, 86-73, 119-107.

Source: news.abs-cbn.com