BARANGAY Ginebra got off to a triumphant start in the PBA Commissioner's Cup behind a big third-quarter salvo leading to a 109-100 win over NLEX at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila Wednesday night.
Stephen Holt went 5-of-5 from the arc and tossed in a total of 20 points in a 36-23 Ginebra onslaught from a 42-43 down at the half.
Justin Brownlee had eight points with two-of-four treys in the same run carrying the Kings all the way to a winning conference debut past an NLEX squad (3-2) which was unbeaten in three previous games.
Holt, the previous season's top freshman, finished with 26 points he laced with two rebounds and two assists while Brownlee wound up with 24 markers and 12 boards, giving new Ginebra recruit Troy Rosario a warm victorious welcome.
Japeth Aguilar and Maverick Ahanmisi chipped in 15 and 13 points respectively, as Rosario logged in nine markers, seven boards and three assists in his Ginebra debut.
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Rosario started the game with Aguilar, Holt, Thompson and Brownlee, but the former TNT and Blackwater player took a while to get going, struggling with a 1-of-5 clip in 17:56 of action in the first half.
The entire Ginebra team actually struggled early on.
And with an early double-double from import Mike Watkins, the Road Warriors took a 43-42 edge at the half.
Watkins collected 15 points and 13 rebounds in the opening half where the Road Warriors had a decent 40.5-percent clip, making 17 of 42 attempts.
But then the Kings jumped out of the opening gate in the third and turned the game around, storming to a 78-66 lead going into the final canto.
And it's all Ginebra from thereon.
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Watkins finished with a game-high 27 points with Robert Bolick and Kevin Alas firing 18 and 14, respectively for the losing side. (SB)
The Scores :
GINEBRA 109 - Holt 26, Brownlee 24, J.Aguilar 15, Ahanmisi 13, Rosario 9, Thompson 8, Abarrientos 6, Cu 6, Adamos 2, Pinto 0
NLEX 100 - Watkins 27, Bolick 18, Alas 14, Policarpio 13, Valdez 11, Torres 5, Semerad 4, Herndon 4, Rodger 2, Bahio 2, Mocon 0
QUARTERS : 20-22, 42-43, 78-66, 109-100
