Ginebra turns light out on Meralco
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel fanned its status as the hottest team of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup last night after completing a bestof-three quarterfinal sweep of Meralco, 104-90, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. A telling sequence in the final seconds of the first half allowed Ginebra to fuel a big breakaway in the third quarter and secure a best-of-five semifinal clash against the winner of tonight’s do-ordie quarterfinal match between top seed Rain or Shine and eighth-ranked GlobalPort. Rain or Shine and GlobalPort will meet tonight at the Mall of Asia Arena after the latter forced a rubber match with a 114-113 win Tuesday night on Jonathan Grey’s corner three-pointer
Game Today (Mall of Asia Arena) 7 p.m. – GlobalPort vs Rain or Shine
with 11.5 seconds left.
Ranidel de Ocampo’s deliberate foul sent Scottie Thompson to the free throw line for a split before Joe Devance beat the clock with a jumper that put Ginebra ahead 56-51 at the break.
It turned out to be the momentum Ginebra needed as Justin Brownlee and Joe Devance combined for 14 points in the third before building an 18-point lead in the fourth.
“It’s a blessing and it’s a curse at the same time,” said Ginebra coach Tim Cone of the streak.
“A blessing coz you got some momentum and you’re playing well and you know it. But a curse because at some point, you gonna come down off the mountain. But we’ll see just how long we can stay on the top of the mountain this way.”
Meralco threatened midway in the fourth as Chris Newsome’s three cut Ginebra’s lead to 87-81 with under five minutes remaining. But LA Tenorio drained a three before forcing a steal to find Brownlee for a dunk for 92-81, 4:16 to go.
Brownlee finished with 36 points, six rebounds, nine assists and three steals, Tenorio had 11 points, five assists and three steals while Greg Slaughter added 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Japeth Aguilar was the other double-digit scorer with 10 points but left the game with 9:10 left in the fourth after his ankle was hit by a diving Newsome during a loose ball scramble.