Gin Kings fend off Elasto Painters comeback, level semifinal showdown

Barangay Ginebra weathered a strong late rally by Rain or Shine to escape with a 107-101 victory on Friday at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, tying their Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup semifinal series at one game apiece.

The Gin Kings appeared headed for a comfortable win after building a 17-point advantage, but the Elasto Painters stormed back in the closing minutes before Ginebra held firm with key defensive stops and clutch free throws.

Holding a 101-84 lead with under five minutes remaining, Ginebra suddenly saw Rain or Shine come alive offensively after struggling for most of the game. Gian Mamuyac sparked the run before Jhonard Clarito took over with six straight points. Jaylen Johnson then buried a three-pointer to cap a 13-0 surge that cut the deficit to 101-97 with 1:37 left.

Rain or Shine had an opportunity to pull within one possession, but Justin Brownlee came up with a crucial block on Adrian Nocum at the rim. Scottie Thompson then calmly converted from the foul line to help the Kings regain control.

Clarito once more brought the Elasto Painters within four points, but Troy Rosario and RJ Abarrientos delivered in the final 23.3 seconds to seal the Game 2 triumph for Ginebra.

Abarrientos endured a scary moment late in the contest after absorbing an accidental elbow from Clarito that left him bleeding and forced him to briefly head to the sidelines with 5:44 remaining. He later returned to finish the game.

“I thought the game changed after that blocking call on RJ Abarrientos. It should’ve been an offensive foul on Jhonard Clarito. We didn’t get the call, and losing RJ even briefly affected us,” said Ginebra coach Tim Cone.

Despite the late-game scare, Ginebra’s explosive start proved enough to counter Rain or Shine’s comeback attempt and bounce back from its Game 1 defeat.

Brownlee powered the Kings with 31 points, 15 rebounds, eight assists, one steal, and one block, while Abarrientos chipped in 15 points as Ginebra established control early.

After falling behind by five in the opening minutes, the Kings responded with a massive 21-1 run fueled by Brownlee and Abarrientos. A three-pointer from Jeremih Gray pushed Ginebra ahead 31-16 late in the first quarter.

Thompson contributed 15 points, six rebounds, and six assists, while Japeth Aguilar recorded a double-double of 14 points and 12 rebounds in one of his strongest performances since returning to action. Rosario also added 11 points off the bench.

For Rain or Shine, Nocum led the charge with 20 points, while Johnson bounced back with 19 points, 15 rebounds, and seven assists after being limited early following his 40-point explosion in Game 1. Mamuyac added 18 markers as the Elasto Painters continued to miss Luis Villegas, who remains out indefinitely with a hamstring injury.

The series resumes Sunday, with Ginebra aiming to tighten its defense against Rain or Shine’s fast-paced offense in what has turned into a highly competitive semifinal matchup.