By ADRIAN STEWART CO
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings kept its hopes alive for a twice-to-beat edge in the 2022 PBA Commissioner’s Cup with a 115-96 rout of Converge Fiberxers on Wednesday night, November 30, at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.
Justin Brownlee flirted with a triple-double with 25 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists, while Jamie Malonzo added 17 markers and eight rebounds as the Gin Kings ended the elimination round with a 9-3 win-loss slate.
Japeth Aguilar chipped in 16 points, LA Tenorio ended with 14 markers, including 10 in the final quarter, as Christian Standhardinger ended with 13 points and eight boards for Ginebra.
The Gin Kings will still have a chance to enter the quarterfinals as the no. 2 seed team and with a twice-to-beat incentive if Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots (9-2) loses to Rain or Shine Elasto Painters (5-6).
“I am sorry to my former players at the Magnolia camp, but we will be cheering hard for (Painters head) coach Yeng (Guiao). It is the only way for us to finish at no. 2,” Kings head coach Tim Cone said.
From a close 25-23 game after the first 12 minutes, Ginebra started to create separation from Converge in the second quarter behind Brownlee, Standhardinger and Aguilar for a 56-48 lead.
The FiberXers kept the match close in the second half as they trimmed the deficit to as low as five points, but consecutive hits from Earl Scottie Thompson, Jeremiah Gray and Malonzo widened the Gin Kings’ advantage to 22 points.
Justin Arana top-scored with 23 points, Quincy Miller had double-double 16 points and 16 rebounds, Aljun Melecio and RK Ilagan had 12 and 11, respectively, while Jeron Teng and Alec Stockton had 10 each as the FiberXers dropped to 8-4.
GINEBRA 115 — Brownlee 25, Malonzo 17, J. Aguilar 16, Tenorio 14, Standhardinger 13, Pringle 9, Thompson 9, Gray 7, Pessumal 3, R. Aguilar 2, Mariano 0.
CONVERGE 96 — Arana 23, Miller 16, Melecio 12, Ilagan 11, Teng 10, Stockton 10, Tratter 6, Tolomia 4, Racal 2, Digregorio 2, Browne 0, Ambohot 0.
Quarterscores: 25-23, 56-48, 84-75, 115-96./ASC, WDJ