BARANGAY Ginebra made it five in a row versus Meralco in Season 49 and moved a win shy of the PBA Commissioner's Cup semifinals with a 100-92 win in the opener of the latest episode of the Kings-Bolts playoffs rivalry at the Smart Araneta Coliseum Wednesday night.
Justin Brownlee and Scottie Thompson scored 23 points each while Japeth Aguilar contributed 19 as the Kings stoked the fire of their strong wind-up in the elims and beat the Bolts for the crucial head start in their race-to-two quarters face-off.
Now on a three-game roll, coach Tim Cone's troops will try to sustain the romp, taking their first of two cracks at the Last Four in Game Two over at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium Friday.
Akill Mitchell returned from sickbay and delivered 19 points and 14 rebounds but the Bolts could keep up just through the first 38 minutes of the game.
They went scoreless in the closing minutes and failed in a bid to avenge their 87-91 defeat in their elims tussle. And the Bolts suffered a fifth straight loss to the Kings in the season, counting Ginebra's 3-0 sweep of their quarterfinals showdown in the Governors' Cup.
Sponsored content:
Apart from his 23 points, Thompson collected seven rebounds, six assists and four steals, and had a big hand in their telling 13-3 run to seal the deal.
RJ Abarrientos was a fourth Ginebra player finishing in double figures with 14 on top of six assists and four rebounds while Chris Newsome led the Bolt with 20 points, including two three-pointers.
Jansen Rios, Bong Quinto and Mitchell also drained at least two treys each as they battled the Kings at least in the first three quarters, trailing just by two, 76-78, going into the payoff period.
The Kings simply outhustled, outsmarted and outplayed the Bolts at the finish and thus closed in on the semis, with a possible dispute in the Last Four versus the winner of the Magnolia-NorthPort matchup.
The Bolts scored the game's first two baskets then the Kings struck back, surging to a 24-17 lead at the end of the first quarter then leading by as big as 29-17.
Sponsored content:
Meralco chipped away and got into the fight in the next two quarters, but Ginebra just wouldn't be denied at the finish.(SB)
The scores:
Ginebra 100 - Brownlee 23, Thompson 23, J. Aguilar 19, Abarrientos 14, Rosario 8, Malonzo 7, Holt 6, Ahanmisi 0.
Meralco 92 - Newsome 20, Mitchell 19, Rios 13, Banchero 12, Quinto 11, Almazan 8, Black 5, Hodge 4, Bates 0, Cansino 0.
QUARTERS: 24-17, 50-47, 78-76, 100-92
