MANILA, Philippines—Barangay Ginebra is on the cusp of history after it took a 98-88 Game 4 win over TNT to claim a 3-1 series lead in the PBA Philippine Cup Finals Sunday at Angeles University Foundation.
The Gin Kings’ spirited run, though, was thanks to no small part to LA Tenorio who went lights out in the final moments of the game scoring eight points in the final 2:30.
TNT climbed back from an 18-point fourth quarter deficit, 82-64, to get to within three, 88-85, thanks to a 21-6 run that RR Pogoy capped off with a three-pointer with 2:50 to play.
That was when Tenorio worked his magic, hitting two straight triples to give the Gin Kings a 94-88 lead with 1:43 left in the game.
A missed Pogoy three then led to a Scottie Thompson layup on the break for Ginebra’s 96-88 buffer just 19 seconds later.
“LA was really calm under pressure. Pogoy was making incredible shots, we missed him one time and another time they set a couple of screens for him and those shots he made were tremendous,” said Ginebra head coach Tim Cone.
“It was a Pogoy show out there and it can be harder to respond and that’s what LA did. He made two huge responses from the three-point line and that took the sails out of TNT.”
Tenorio would finish the game with 22 points with six assists and three steals while Japeth Aguilar patrolled the paint for Ginebra with 22 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks.
Stanley Pringle added 16 points while Scottie Thompson missed out on a triple-double with 11 points, 11 boards, and nine assists.
Pogoy waxed hot with 34 points, 16 coming in the fourth, four rebounds, six assists, and four steals while Poy Erram had 19 points, 16 rebounds, and two blocks.
Already without Bobby Ray Parks Jr., the Tropang Giga sorely missed point guard Jayson Castro for the rest of the game after he hurt his left knee early in the third.