Ginebra Snaps Slump with 99-93 Win Over Converge in Palm Sunday Thriller

In a thrilling Palm Sunday matchup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, Barangay Ginebra turned to a strong performance from Justin Brownlee and RJ Abarrientos, who combined for 65 points to lead the Gin Kings to a 99-93 victory over Converge in the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup.

Abarrientos was the star early on, carrying the load for Ginebra through the first three quarters, scoring a game-high 32 points. Brownlee, who struggled in the first half with only 5-of-20 shooting, came alive in the final two periods, contributing 21 points down the stretch to secure the win. The victory allowed the Gin Kings to bounce back from a tough loss to NLEX, improving their record to 2-1.

Ginebra head coach Tim Cone praised his team's resilience, especially with Japeth Aguilar sidelined. “You lose on a Friday and play on a Sunday, and there’s a lot of pressure and a big challenge coming in here,” Cone said. “But the boys took care of business, especially with Japeth out. Brownlee, Abarrientos, and Troy Rosario really stepped up.”

Troy Rosario also made a significant impact, contributing 10 points and 13 rebounds, helping fill the void left by Aguilar’s absence. His solid play, along with Brownlee’s key offensive and defensive efforts, was crucial in the win.

The game’s defining moment came in the final minute, with Brownlee taking over in the clutch. After an inbound error by Alec Stockton, Brownlee drove past him and hit a floater over Kylor Kelley to cut the lead to 97-93 with 34.4 seconds left. On the next possession, Brownlee’s defensive challenge forced Mikey Williams into a missed three-point attempt, effectively sealing the win for Ginebra.

For Converge, Justine Baltazar led with 20 points, while Mikey Williams added 16 points and Mike Garcia chipped in 15 points. However, the team struggled without key players Justin Arana and Juan Gomez de Liano. Kylor Kelley had a strong performance in the paint, finishing perfect from the field with 13 points and 15 rebounds, but Converge couldn't hold off Ginebra's late-game surge.

Converge now sits at 1-4, still searching for consistency, while Ginebra will look to build on this win as they continue their campaign in the Commissioner's Cup.