Gin Kings Pull Away Late to Edge Bossing

Ginebra relied on timely three-point shooting in the final minutes to hold off a determined Blackwater squad, 115-108, and extend its winning streak to four games in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup on Friday night at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.

With the game on the line late in the fourth quarter, Ginebra held a narrow lead before Stephen Holt caught fire from beyond the arc. The guard sank back-to-back triples, pushing the Kings ahead 103-98 with 5:45 remaining and shifting the momentum firmly in their favor.

Despite Blackwater’s continued pressure in the final stretch, Nards Pinto delivered the most crucial shot of the game. Uncontested on the wing, he calmly buried a three-pointer to extend Ginebra’s lead to 113-108 with just over two minutes left, effectively quashing the Bossing’s comeback hopes.

Troy Rosario then capped the victory with a basket in the paint in the final 45 seconds, as Ginebra hung on after a rough start that included a 23-3 run by Blackwater, which had briefly put them in control.

Ginebra head coach Tim Cone acknowledged that his team was caught off guard by Blackwater’s intensity, especially following their impressive win over San Miguel in their previous game.

“They were ready to come out, we weren’t so ready,” Cone admitted. “We knew they would be because they had the confidence from beating San Miguel. We were hoping we could wear them down. We really didn’t. We just hit a couple of big shots here and there, and that was the difference.”

Justin Brownlee led the charge for Ginebra, finishing with 21 points, nine rebounds, and five assists. His key putback in the third quarter tied the game at 96-all, sparking a run that sealed the victory.

Scottie Thompson added 19 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists, while RJ Abarrientos chipped in 18 points and seven assists. Rosario earned Player of the Game honors with a double-double performance of 17 points and 10 rebounds. Holt contributed 13 points, and Japeth Aguilar added 11, with six Ginebra players finishing in double figures.

The Kings, however, had to finish the game without Aguilar, who exited early due to an unspecified injury, leaving them without a traditional big man down the stretch.

Despite the injury setback, Ginebra improved to 6-3, tying NLEX for second place in the standings and boosting their chances for a top-four finish as the eliminations approach.

Blackwater, despite a monster performance from import Robert Upshaw III (43 points, 14 rebounds, two assists), fell to 2-7. Sedrick Barefield added 25 points and 12 assists, while Christian David chipped in 15, but the Bossing's efforts fell short, leaving them in dire need of victories in their remaining games to stay in playoff contention.