In a game that saw a tight defensive contest, it was Barangay Ginebra’s offense that came alive and saved the day in the second half to pull off an 87-77 victory over bitter rival Magnolia in the 2024 PBA Philippine Cup edition of the Manila Clasico at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Easter Sunday, March 31.

Japeth Aguilar typified the Kings' second half rise as, after only scoring two in the first two quarters, exploded and finished with 16 points to give the legion of Ginebra fans an Easter treat.

Ginebra created the much-needed separation in the third frame when it unloaded a 13-0 run that turned a 47-53 deficit into a 60-53 advantage.

The Kings never let go of the driver's seat from there as they kept their six-point barrier sturdy against the Hotshots' comeback efforts in the final frame.

Aguilar had nine rebounds, three assists and a block for a complete performance while it was Stanley Pringle who ran the show for Ginebra with 17 points and six assists.

Maverick Ahanmisi added 16 points – none bigger than the triple he nailed with 40 seconds left that gave Ginebra a comfortable 84-75 lead.

Jamie Malonzo scored 11 points while Christian Standhardinger came three assists shy of a triple-double with 11 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists.

Ginebra bounced back from an embarrassing defeat against Meralco last time out to improve its record to 3-1 while sending Magnolia to its first loss in its only second game of the conference.

The Kings also picked up their 100th win over the Hotshots in their storied Manila Clasico rivalry.

Ian Sangalang paced the Hotshots with 17 points while Jio Jalalon added 15 points and 10 assists in a losing effort.