Barangay Ginebra displayed its defensive prowess in the final frame to fashion out a 115-96 victory over Converge and remain in contention for the quarterfinals bonus in the 2022 PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the PhilSports Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 30.
Taking control for much of the contest, the Kings clamped down on the defensive end and forced the FiberXers to consecutive turnovers to fuel the deciding rally and close out the eliminations with a 9-3 record.
The win allowed Ginebra to keep its hopes for the twice-to-beat advantage alive while putting the pressure on Magnolia which now needs to win its game against Rain or Shine to secure the second seed and the incentive.
Justin Brownlee flirted with another triple-double of 25 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists while Jamie Malonzo added 17 points built on three triples. Japeth Aguilar added 16 points and five rebounds while LA Tenorio added 14.
Up by nine, 84-75, a 6-0 spurt led by the duo of the Jeremiah Gray and Malonzo to open the payoff period set the tone for the Kings as they erected a 15-point lead, 80-75.
Justin Arana provided some answers for Converge but Tenorio, Brownlee and Christian Standhardinger all found the mark in the ensuing plays to build the biggest lead of the contest at 22, 101-79.
Arana led the way for Converge with a conference-high 23 points and eight rebounds while import Quincy Miller, who was obviously bothered by the defense of Malonzo, Aljun Mariano and Standhardinger, could only muster 16 points after missing out the last game.
With the loss, the FiberXers finished the eliminations on a two-game losing streak and 8-4 record in the standings.