Ginebra demolishes NorthPort, sets up title match with TNT

Sports

FAMILIAR foes will meet again in the grandest stage of the 49th PBA Commissioner’s Cup.

This happened after the Barangay Ginebra Kings demolished the NorthPort Batang Pier, 126-99, in Game 5 of their best-of-seven semifinal series on Friday night, March 7, at the Araneta Coliseum.

Ginebra won the series, 4-1, securing a championship ticket just hours after the TNT Tropang Giga made it to the title round.

The Tropa prevailed in their own semifinal duel with the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, scoring a 97-92 win earlier to wrap the series up, 4-1.

Ginebra and TNT faced each other in the last two Finals of the Governors’ Cup with the Tropa winning on both occasions.

The Kings will now have a chance to end a string of setbacks at the hands of the Tropa as Justin Brownlee delivered a stellar all-around performance to lead Ginebra’s series-clinching win.

Brownlee finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, and three steals. RJ Abarrientos was also brilliant for Ginebra, tallying 20 points and 10 rebounds.

Jamie Malonzo also scored 20 points on a 4-of-5 clip from the three-point area.

Kadeem Jack led NorthPort with 31 markers while Allyn Bulanadi sank six triples to add 26 points.

Toutoed as NorthPort’s main man, Arvin Tolentino struggled in the crucial game as he managed just nine points.

THE SCORES:

GINEBRA (126) - Brownlee 21, Abarrientos 20, Malonzo 20, J. Aguilar 18, Thompson 14, Rosario 11, Ahanmisi 9, Holt 7, Mariano 2, Adamos 2, Pinto 2, Cu 0, Pessumal 0, R. Aguilar 0.

NORTHPORT (99) - Jack 31, Bulanadi 26, Munzon 12, Taha 10, Tolentino 9, Navarro 9, Onwubere 2, Nelle 0, Flores 0.

QUARTERSCORES: 23-22, 62-53, 97-76, 126-99.(CCM)