PBA: Ginebra holds off late Terrafirma rally for third straight win

It was business as usual for Justin Brownlee as Barangay Ginebra fended off Terrafirma to take a 111-103 win and keep rolling in the PBA Season 50 Commissioner's Cup on Saturday at the Ynares Center Montalban.

The Gin Kings broke the game open in the third quarter, turning a slim six-point halftime edge into a commanding 23-point lead thanks to a collective effort from Brownlee, Stephen Holt, RJ Abarrientos, and Scottie Thompson.

But the Dyip roared back behind Jerrick Ahanmisi's hot shooting, sparking a late fightback that threatened to swing the momentum. Ginebra, however, steadied itself in the closing stretch to halt Terrafirma’s surge and secure an eight-point victory.

Brownlee starred with 28 points on 5-of-6 shooting from three-point area while also grabbing nine rebounds, three assists, and two steals while Abarrientos and Holt both posted 17 markers as they improved to 5-2.

Thompson finished with 10 markers laced with four rebounds and six assists while Japeth Aguilar and Jeremiah Gray chipped in eight markers each.

"I thought in the third quarter, we came out and really locked in to the details and that keyed our defense and our offense. We got a little sloppy in the fourth quarter and I'm disappointed with that," Ginebra head coach Tim Cone said.

"We didn't hold on to that lead, played better, and that's always dangerous in the PBA. I just wanna say that Terrafirma is doing a very good job, they run hard, they move hard, the move the ball hard. They didn't quit."

Holding on to a 56-50 lead at the break, Ginebra turned the switch in the third period with Holt hitting four three-pointers for an 87-64 cushion. They headed to the fourth enjoying a 91-71 lead as Terrafirma continued to trail despite the efforts of rookie Shawn Umali.

Isaac Go then completed a three-point play in the fourth after drawing a foul from Geo Chiu to stretch Ginebra's lead to 102-75.

But Ginebra went quiet after that, allowing Terrafirma to unleash a 10–2 run. The younger Ahanmisi then took over, drilling back-to-back four-pointers before finishing a layup that cut the deficit to 14, 111–97.

Umali brought Terrafirma within a single-digit deficit after the former Benilde standout completed a three-point play, but the comeback bid fell short as time ran out. 

Ginebra managed to hold on for the win despite going scoreless in the final 3:45 of the game.

Ahanmisi paced Terrafirma with 27 points while Ali Mubashar posted 14 markers and 10 rebounds as Terrafirma continued its slide after absorbing its fifth loss in a row following a 3-0 start. 

Scores:

Barangay Ginebra 111 – Brownlee 28, Abarrientos 17, Holt 17, Thompson 10, J.Aguilar 8, Gray 8, Rosario 6, Go 5, Cu 4, Torres 3, Estil 3, Pinto 2, R.Aguilar 0.

Terrafirma 103 – J.Ahanmisi 27, Umali 15, Ali 14, Hernandez 12, Bravo 9, Eriobu 7, Paraiso 7, Chiu 6, M.Ahanmisi 3, Hanapi 3, Adamos 0, Catapusan 0, Zaldivar 0.

Quarters: 28-23, 56-50, 91-71, 111-103.

—JKC, GMA News