MANILA, Philippines — Barangay Ginebra marched to its fifth-straight victory in the 2018 Commissioner’s Cup after a 116-98 decision over GlobalPort in the nightcap of Friday’s PBA action at the Cuneta Astrodome.
The Gin Kings, who were nursing a 1-6 win-loss record halfway through the mid-season contest, have managed to collect convincing victories en route to punching their ticket to the playoffs.
Import Justin Brownlee figured as the spearhead of Ginebra’s dominant victory over the Batang Pier, scoring 38 points, hauling 11 boards and dishing out six dimes.
Japeth Aguilar contributed 19 markers, while Joe Devance, LA Tenorio, and Scottie Thompson tallied 16, 11 and 10 points, respectively.
“We scored well, we hit shots, we got the ball down the floor to score. But I thought we created a lot of offense off our defense,” Gin Kings’ head coach Tim Cone said.
“So far, five games, so good” he added.
A balanced effort from GlobalPort’s Malcolm White, Mo Tautuaa, Sean Anthony and Stanley Pringle managed to keep the game close in the first half.
But the crowd darlings’ beloved import was just too much for the Batang Pier to handle. Brownlee’s eight points in the second period alone set the tone for the him and hist team in the next two quarters.
From that point on, Barangay Ginebra never looked back.
The Gin Kings’ latest conquest affords them a spot in the best-of-three quarterfinals. They now enjoy a 6-5 slate.
“We just have to wait (for our next opponent) until Sunday to figure it out,” Cone offered. “We only get a day of real preparation. It’s crazy. But we control what we can control.”
The Batang Pier, for their part, have finished the conference with a 5-6 card. They have collected just enough wins to secure the final berth in the playoff field the features eight teams.
The scores:
Ginebra 116 - Brownlee 36, Aguilar 19, Devance 16, Tenorio 11, Thompson 10, Slaughter 8, Chan 4, Ferrer 4, Cruz 3, Mercado 3, Caguioa 2, Mariano 0, Manuel 0.
GlobalPort 98 - White 19, Tautuaa 15, Anthony 14, Pringle 14, Taha 10, Espinas 6, Grey 6, Elorde 4, Guinto 4, Teng 3, Arana 3, Javelona 0.
Quarters: 30-25, 58-45, 88-72, 116-98.