SCHEDULE: 2024 PBA Philippine Cup semifinals
Ginebra Gin Kings’ Japeth Aguilar during the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals series against Meralco Bolts. –PBA IMAGES
Barangay Ginebra found gaps in the enemy’s interior and made Meralco pay all of Friday night for a 90-71 victory in Game 4 of the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals on Friday night.
Japeth Aguilar starred with 21 points as LA Tenorio, who started the clash at Mall of Asia Arena, provided a spark with seven points, ultimately helping level the best-of-seven Final Four showdown to two games apiece.
“As bad as we played last game, we played good this game. I just felt the energy was so much better,” head coach Tim Cone said shortly after the wire-to-wire triumph that pretty much rendered the grueling series into a race-to-two.
READ: PBA: Trailing Ginebra ‘can’t play the same way’ vs Meralco
“We started differently, brought out LA and Stanley (Pringle) … We wouldn’t have done this without those two guys coming out and playing well and getting us off to a good start,” the seasoned mentor went on.
Scottie Thompson and Christian Standhardinger had 15 points each, Pringle chipped in 14 more in the effort that had the Gin Kings recovering from a Game 3 upset at the hands of the Bolts last Wednesday in Cavite.
Ginebra accounted for 50 points in the paint, a stark contrast to that of Meralco’s 22.
The Bolts got the goods from Allein Maliksi and Chris Banchero who both finished with 14 points, Chris Newsome delivered 10 in the losing stand that will surely haunt the team’s brain trust as the defeat cost them commanding control of the series where they are underdogs.
The two clubs battle it out again at the same bayside venue this Sunday.