Gin Kings Heat Up from Deep, Rout Elasto Painters

Ginebra relied on scorching three-point shooting to deliver a dominant 114–90 win over Rain or Shine in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup on Sunday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.

The Kings set a franchise record by sinking 21 triples, taking control in the second quarter and pulling away decisively in the third. The emphatic victory served as a strong rebound after a tough loss to Meralco earlier in the week.

Ralph Cu sparked a key run late in the first half, hitting consecutive threes as Ginebra went on a 19–7 surge to lead 51–42 at halftime. Stephen Holt extended the advantage early in the third, making it 64–49 and signaling the start of a full-blown pullaway. By the middle of the fourth quarter, Ginebra had already surpassed 100 points with over six minutes left, securing their eighth win in 11 games and climbing to sole possession of second place.

Head coach Tim Cone acknowledged the sting of their previous defeat but praised the team’s response. “We’re very disappointed with the Friday loss, but we weren’t discouraged. We know it’s not us. All the guys came out,” he said.

Justin Brownlee led the charge with 40 points on efficient shooting, adding eight rebounds, five assists, a steal, and two blocks. RJ Abarrientos recorded 23 points and 11 assists, while Scottie Thompson contributed a massive 17-point, 16-rebound double-double, excelling on both ends of the court.

Ralph Cu, who had been averaging just 2.0 points per game this conference, exploded for 15 points on 5-of-7 three-point shooting, adding five rebounds and three assists to earn Player of the Game honors. “I just made myself ready,” Cu said, crediting his teammates for creating opportunities. Troy Rosario also chipped in 13 points and seven rebounds as the Kings set a new franchise mark for three-pointers in a single game.

For Rain or Shine, Jaylen Johnson led with 16 points, 15 rebounds, and six assists, but the Elasto Painters were limited to a conference-low nine fastbreak points and struggled to regain their usual up-tempo flow. Gian Mamuyac added 14 points and seven boards, Anton Asistio contributed 13 points, and Adrian Nocum posted 10. Jhonard Clarito went scoreless in nearly 25 minutes as Rain or Shine dropped its third loss in four games.

The Elasto Painters will look to rebound against Titan Ultra on May 8, while Ginebra closes out its elimination round with a rematch against TNT on May 10, revisiting last season’s Commissioner’s Cup Finals showdown.