Abarrientos, Brownlee on target as Ginebra torches ROS in Game 5
At A Glance
- Barangay Ginebra's 1-2 punch in Justin Brownlee and RJ Abarrientos hit the mark as the Kings moved a win away from Finals with a 111-104 victory over Rain or Shine in Game 5 in the PBA Season 50 Commissioner's Cup semifinals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Friday, May 29.
Barangay Ginebra’s 1-2 punch in Justin Brownlee and RJ Abarrientos hit the mark as the Kings moved a win away from Finals with a 111-104 victory over Rain or Shine in Game 5 in the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup semifinals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Friday, May 29.
After being limited to his first-ever single digit scoring this conference, Abarrientos bounced back big time and fired 31 points — including the timely hits late in the third quarter that steadied the ship for the Kings in the face of another looming Elasto Painters storm.
Brownlee complemented Abarrientos’ hot-shooting with 32 points to go with six rebounds and six assists while Troy Rosario chipped in 16 points and seven rebounds.
Ginebra led by as many as 15 points behind its torrid outside shooting in the first half where it nailed 10 triples — already a huge improvement from the team’s five three-point makes in Game 4.
The Elasto Painters came with three, 64-67, but hits from Brownlee, Abarrientos and Jeremiah Gray quickly restored order as they reestablished a double-digit lead that proved to be enough to hold off the ROS.
Adrian Nocum, who almost singledhandedly put ROS back in the game, finished with 25 points although he was held scoreless in the fourth typified by the huge chasedown block by Brownlee against him.