SCHEDULE: 2024 PBA Philippine Cup semifinals
Ginebra Gin Kings’ Christian Standhardinger against Meralco Bolts’ Raymond Almazan in the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals. –PBA IMAGES
Barangay Ginebra overcame one adversity after another on Sunday night to pull the rug from under Meralco, 89-84, in Game 5 of the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals.
The crowd darlings came back from 15 points down despite an error-riddled outing at Mall of Asia Arena to take control of the best-of-seven series with the Bolts, their perennial victim in championship showdowns, 3-2.
“We look pretty good now. It didn’t look pretty good for us two games ago when we were down 2-1 and were coming off two losses. I just got to give it to the guys, they have kept their heads up, they moved forward and moved on, and just found a way to grind out two wins. Tonight was such a grind-out win,” head coach Tim Cone said shortly after the contest.
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Christian Standhardinger was a picture of Ginebra’s tenacity, pouring 34 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. Japeth Aguilar was just as effective in the paint, turning in a double-double of 10 and 12.
Maverick Ahanmisi, who was limited to just seven points in Game 4, chipped in 13 points off the bench. He came through with a pair of plays down the stretch to help seal the fancied club’s triumph that came with an edge as far as historical context is concerned.
Forty-seven of 62 teams that won Game 5 following a 2-all deadlock in a best-of-seven series went on to win the series or the title, according to the league’s stats chief Fidel Mangonon III. And of those winning sides, 19 came in the last decade.
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Ginebra is now one win away from its third PBA Finals appearance in the last four tournaments.
The last time the popular ball club made the big dance of the crown jewel tournament was during the 2020 edition of the showpiece held within a bio-secure setup known as the “bubble” in Pampanga province at the height of the coronavirus outbreak.
Chris Banchero had 18 points, Chris Newsome 17 while Chris Hodge and Allein Maliksi tossed at least 13 points each in the Bolts’ sorry meltdown.
Cone and his charges can wrap the series up this Wednesday when the PBA returns to Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.