PBA: Barangay Ginebra bench fuels late surge in semis Game 1 win vs. San Miguel

In Game 1 of the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals, Barangay Ginebra defeated defending champions San Miguel 99-90, snapping the Beermen’s 10-game winning streak and taking a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. The key to the victory lay in Ginebra’s dominant bench performance, as their reserves outscored San Miguel’s second unit by a lopsided 54-29 margin, emerging as the decisive force behind the team’s comeback.

Ginebra’s star guard RJ Abarrientos led the team with a game-high 23 points, along with 4 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals. He scored 7 crucial points in the final stretch to seal the win. Veteran Scottie Thompson chipped in 22 points and 5 rebounds, while Ralph Cu and Norbert Torres knocked down key three-pointers in the fourth quarter, finishing with 13 and 8 points respectively. Jayson David, who played through a shoulder injury, added 10 points. In contrast, San Miguel’s bench struggled mightily—Juami Tiongson, Don Trollano and Jericho Cruz scored only 8, 5 and 4 points respectively—leaving the scoring burden almost entirely on June Mar Fajardo (27 points) and CJ Perez (18 points).

Head coach Tim Cone praised the energy brought by his second unit after the game. It was they who sparked the comeback late in the third quarter, with Cu’s three-pointer igniting the rally. Abarrientos then put the game away in the fourth quarter with a three-point play and clutch free throws.

#PBA Philippine Cup #Ginebra 99-90 San Miguel #Semis Game 1 #Bench Dominance #End 10 Game Win Streak #Abarrientos 23 Pts