Gin Kings finish eliminations strong, set up quarterfinal clash with Fuel Masters

Barangay Ginebra secured the No. 2 seed in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup after holding off TNT, 93-86, in a hard-fought battle on Sunday night at the Mall of Asia Arena.

RJ Abarrientos delivered the biggest shot of the game, nailing a clutch three-pointer with 48 seconds left to push the lead to 91-83 and essentially seal the win. Troy Rosario added the final touches with a putback in the closing seconds.

The Kings closed the elimination round on a two-game winning streak, finishing with a strong **9-2 record** after winning seven of their last eight games.

“We didn’t talk about who we’ll play. We just wanted to come out and play up to our standard,” said head coach Tim Cone. “Everybody on the floor did their job. I’m really pleased.”

Justin Brownlee led the way with **18 points and 15 rebounds**, while Abarrientos added **17 points** to earn Player of the Game honors. Norbert Torres contributed 10 points, and Japeth Aguilar made a solid return from injury with six points and three rebounds in limited minutes.

The victory sets up a quarterfinal series against the Phoenix Fuel Masters, with Game 1 scheduled for May 15.

For TNT, Bol Bol once again carried the load with **33 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 blocks**, but limited support from the locals proved costly. Calvin Oftana added 11 points as the Tropang 5G dropped their third straight game. They enter the playoffs as the No. 8 seed and will face top-ranked NLEX in a twice-to-win situation.