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Barangay Ginebra took the best that Magnolia could muster on Sunday night and still came away with a 93-86 victory before more than 12,000 fans at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The win can ultimately land the Gin Kings top seeding in the PBA Governors’ Cup playoffs. According to coach Tim Cone, it also means more pressure.

“It’s too easy to say that No. 1 plays No. 8,” Cone said after getting 29 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists from Justin Brownlee in the wire-to-wire win that gave the Kings an 8-2 record. “You now have a lot of expectations on you.”

Ginebra must win its game against TNT KaTropa on Sunday to claim top seeding, as a loss would put the Gin Kings at No. 2 and the right to play No. 7.

Import Romeo Travis scored 30 points for the Hotshots, who will be No. 2 at worst after the eliminations.

Earlier, Alex Compton heaved a huge sigh of relief after Alaska showed up a different team in the second half against NorthPort on its way to a 95-85 win and a similar twice-to-beat advantage.

His first words weren’t about his brilliant coaching—he practically said he did not have a hand in the turnaround.
Instead, he gave all the credits to team owner Wilfred Uytengsu, who gave the Aces a talk about reality at halftime.

“It was short and powerful, and the players responded,” Compton said of Uytengsu’s talk as the Aces closed out their elimination round schedule with an 8-3 record.

In a phone interview later on, Uytengsu said he told the players they can end up “being sorry at the end of this game and do it the hard way.”

“They should play the brand of basketball that we are known for,” Uytengsu told the Aces.

GINEBRA 93—Brownlee 29, Aguilar 17, Slaughter 11, Tenorio 9, Mercado 9, Mariano 6, Thompson 6, Chan 3, Ferrer 3, Caperal 0.

MAGNOLIA 86—Travis 30, Lee 21, Jalalon 12, Barroca 10, Herndon 5, Melton 3, Simon 2, Dela Rosa 2, Reavis 1, Sangalang 0, Ramos 0, Brondial 0.
Quarters: 24-15, 46-31, 69-53, 93-86