PBA: Ginebra fends off San Miguel rally for 1-0 lead in semifinals
Ginebra’s Christian Standhardinger against San Miguel defenders in game 1 of the PBA semifinals. –PBA PHOTO
ANTIPOLO CITY — Barangay Ginebra shook off a fourth quarter rally by San Miguel Beer to claim a 121-112 victory in the opener of their best-of-five semifinal series in the PBA Governors’ Cup semifinals on Friday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Jamie Malonzo and Christian Standhardinger scored a chunk of the baskets made after the Beermen erased a 21-point deficit to tie the count at 95-all in the fourth to help the Gin Kings draw first blood in the series.
Standhardinger had 33 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in another performance that showed why he topped the derby for the Best Player of the Conference award while Malonzo scored 11 of his 27 points in the fourth.
Import Justin Brownlee also came through with 24 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, two steals and two blocks for Ginebra.
The Gin Kings aim to take a 2-0 lead and move one win shy of another trip to the Finals with a victory on Sunday at the same venue.
Ginebra guard LA Tenorio at the Gin Kings bench during his team’s semifinals match up against San Miguel. –PBA IMAGES
LA Tenorio, who announced last Tuesday that he was diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer, showed up and sat on the bench to give inputs to coach Tim Cone and the rest of the staff.
San Miguel suffered defeat but not before erasing a 90-69 deficit in the third and 95-80 to begin the payoff period.
The Beermen scored 15 in a row to open the payoff period, capping off with a Robbie Herndon triple to even things up with barely nine minutes to go.
But a Malonzo three followed by four straight points from Standhardinger from the foul line and a fadeaway shot restored Ginebra’s control of the match.
The scores:
GINEBRA 121—Standhardinger 33, Malonzo 27, Brownlee 24, Thompson 15, Gray 12, Pringle 7, Pinto 3, Pessumal 0.
SAN MIGUEL 112— Clark 26, Perez 23, Lassiter 20, Cruz 13, Tautuaa 11, Manuel 10, Bulanadi 3, Enciso 3, Herndon 3, Brondial 0, Ross 0.
Quarters: 25-22, 62-47, 95-80, 121-112.
