Gin Kings withstand Elasto Painters rally, move 2–1 ahead in semis

Barangay Ginebra once again held off a furious late comeback from Rain or Shine, securing a 103–98 win in Game 3 of their Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup semifinal series on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena to take a 2–1 lead in the best-of-seven matchup.

The Kings appeared in control after building an 11-point cushion in the final three minutes, but the Elasto Painters refused to back down. Powered by the clutch shooting of Caelan Tiongson and another all-around performance from import Jaylen Johnson, Rain or Shine trimmed the gap to 101–98 with 13.1 seconds remaining.

Ginebra, however, stayed composed down the stretch. Stephen Holt calmly sank two pressure free throws with 11.4 seconds left to finally seal the victory and close out another tight finish between the two squads.

“We looked like we had the game under control until Johnson hit another four-pointer late—he also did that in Game 1,” said head coach Tim Cone. “Luckily, we were able to hold on this time.”

Scottie Thompson led Ginebra with 25 points on an efficient 9-of-13 shooting, including five three-pointers. He set the tone in the third quarter, where he scored 10 points to fuel a decisive 12–2 run that gave the Kings a 71–61 advantage.

Ginebra dominated the third period, 29–12, with Thompson spearheading both offense and defense. In 36 minutes, he also tallied seven rebounds, three steals, two assists, and a block.

“That third quarter really changed things,” Cone added. “Justin got going, RJ hit a couple, and Scottie was outstanding all game.”

Justin Brownlee added 24 points, eight rebounds, and nine assists, while RJ Abarrientos contributed 17 points, five assists, and three rebounds despite briefly removing his protective face mask due to an injured nose.

Stephen Holt finished with 11 points and seven assists, while Troy Rosario and Japeth Aguilar combined for 16 points and 11 rebounds to provide steady support.

For Rain or Shine, which won Game 1, the loss marked its second straight defeat despite another standout showing from Jaylen Johnson, who nearly posted a triple-double with 23 points, 21 rebounds, eight assists, and a block.

Tiongson also finished with 23 points, including seven triples, while Adrian Nocum added 17 and Andrei Caracut contributed 15.

Caracut gave Rain or Shine an early lift with all 15 of his points in the opening quarter as they raced to a 26–13 start, but the Elasto Painters couldn’t sustain their momentum as Ginebra’s defense tightened in the middle quarters.

Ginebra will now aim to move within one win of the Finals when Game 4 is played on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.