IT TOOK everything it had, but Barangay Ginebra got amply rewarded with a 102-99 win over San Miguel Beer Sunday that pushed the former to the PBA Governors' Cup championship series at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Maverick Ahanmisi scored a team-high 25 points while Justin Brownlee laced his 21 points with perhaps the game's most crucial shot that enabled the Gin Kings to wrap up the best-of-seven series, 4-2.
"It took every little ounce of whatever we had left to win tonight," said Ginebra coach Tim Cone after the victory that set it up with another race-to-four meeting with 2023 tormentor and early finalist TNT starting Sunday.
"It just took a long toll on all of us and them too. I mean, I gotta give credit to coach Jorge (Gallent) for being able to keep that team together. They had to go through the (quarterfinals) wringer with Converge and then they had to play the EASL game, and they had to come and play us," added Cone.
"That was our edge throughout the whole series, the fact that we had a little bit more energy than they did."
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With its campaign on the line SMB did give Ginebra a big scare, notwithstanding Brownlee's clutch three-pointer over the onrushing challenge of June Mar Fajardo that gave the Kings a 102-98 lead.
After a charity split by Fajardo, the Beermen had the chance to salvage the game following Fajardo's block on Scottie Thompson, but EJ Anosike missed a four-pointer and Jericho Cruz a three-pointer just before the final buzzer.
"I was telling Mav (Ahanmisi), we were limping to the finish line," said Cone. "We just didn't have anything left. Really worried that we weren't gonna be able to pull that one out and then we had to go to a Game 7.
"So just really thankful we're not going to a Game 7."
Japeth Aguilar wound up with 20 points and six rebounds, RJ Abarrientos 16 points and Thompson 10 points and 14 boards, but undeniably a big boost to HGinebra's cause was Ahanmisi, who went into the game averaging just 11.4 points in the semis.
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"Obviously, their focal point was Justin and Japeth inside, so I just tried to stay open as much as possible," said Ahanmisi.
Anosike led all scorers with 30 points on top of nine bards while Fajardo added 22 points and 15 rebounds and Marcio Lassiter tossed in 16 points anchored on four triples.(NC)
The Scores :
GINEBRA 102 - Ahanmisi 25, Brownlee 21, J.Aguilar 20, Abarrientos 16, Thommpson 10, Cu 7, Holt 3, mariano 0, Adamos 0.
SAN MIGUEL 99 - Anosike 30, Fajardo 22, Lassiter 16, Perez 13, Cruz 8, Trollano 8, Manuel 2, Romeo 0, Ross 0.
QUARTERS : 23-27, 46-49, 76-75, 102-99
