PBA: Phoenix withstands late Barangay Ginebra charge to remain spotless at 3-0

Phoenix squandered a comfortable lead but came up with the stops in the closing seconds to hold off Barangay Ginebra, 81-78, and remain unscathed in the PBA Governors' Cup on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Fuel Masters spoiled the conference debut of the Gin Kings, who were playing without trusted guard Scottie Thompson and resident import Justin Brownlee, both of whom are nursing injuries.

The victory also ended Phoenix's three-year drought against Barangay Ginebra. The Fuel Masters last defeated the Gin Kings in December 2023, when they eked out an 82-77 victory in the Commissioner's Cup. Since then, Phoenix had dropped its next eight meetings with Ginebra before finally snapping the skid on Sunday.

"We wanted to catch them off guard. Syempre it's their first game, they have a new import and they're probably not yet used to him yet and wala rin si Scottie Thompson," Phoenix head coach Charles Tiu said.

"So we stepped on the gas, but obviously, they're Ginebra for a reason. They didn't want to quit. They really made a big scare. In fact, suwerte na lang kami na nanalo pa kami."

Even with a depleted roster, Barangay Ginebra still kept it close at halftime with 26-year-old Riley Grigsby exploding for 20 points in the first two quarters as he tried to fill Brownlee's void. Still, Ginebra trailed by 12 at the break as Phoenix cruised to a 48-36 lead behind a collective effort.

A Norbert Torres triple pulled Barangay Ginebra to within a single digit, but back-to-back baskets for debuting Fuel Master Gian Mamuyac bridging the third and fourth quarters sent Phoenix to a 68-55 cushion.

Barangay Ginebra's second unit breathed life into the Gin Kings' comeback bid, with Nards Pinto and John Abis trimming the deficit to 69-63 but Phoenix responded with a 10-2 swing led by JL Delos Santos, Kai Ballungay, and Ricci Rivero.

Abis sparked Barangay Ginebra's hopes anew with a corner triple that cut the deficit to 79-70, but the Gin Kings' rally lost steam after Pinto committed a costly turnover and head coach Tim Cone was tossed for his second technical foul.

Grigsby fueled one last desperate comeback, knocking down a four-point bucket before scoring two quick back-to-back layups to slice the deficit to just three, 81-78. Ginebra had a chance to steal the game, but Jeremiah Gray's potential game-winning basket missed the mark.

BJ Johnson starred for Phoenix with 23 points, 11 rebounds, five steals, three assists, and two blocks while Rivero tallied 16 markers, nine boards, and three assists.

Ballungay and Perkins finished with 12 and 10 points apiece as Mamuyac finished with six markers, three assists, one block, and one rebound in his first game for Phoenix.

Grigsby, despite the loss, still left an impression with 42 points laced with 13 rebounds, two steals, and one block.

Scores:

Phoenix 81 – Johnson 23, Rivero 16, Ballungay 12, Perkins 10, Tuffin 9, Mamuyac 6, Delos Santos 3, Tio 2, Santos 0, Chua 0.

Barangay Ginebra 78 – Grigsby 42, Gray 9, Abarrientos 8, Pinto 6, Abis 5, Rosario 4, Torres 3, J.Aguilar 1, Holt 0, Cu 0, Go 0.

Quarters: 32-15, 48-36, 66-55, 81-78.

—JKC, GMA News