RJ Abarrientos put on a show on Christmas Day for the delight of the Barangay Ginebra faithful in attendance at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum as the Gin Kings survived Converge FiberXers, 105-85 in the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup quarterfinals.
The second-year guard carried Barangay Ginebra’s offense in the said do-or-die game, exploding for a career-high 35 points, three rebounds, and four assists, including the baskets that put the game away in the clutch and kept the Gin Kings’ season alive.
“First of all, I’m just playing the game and just reading the game, kung ano ang mga ibinibigay sa’kin ng defense,” the Season 49 Rookie of the Year said during the postgame press conference.
It was a back-and-forth basketball game for both teams during the first half of play, with neither giving an inch of breathing space for their rival, but then came the third quarter, where Abarrientos suddenly turned the heat on, knocking down a barrage of three-point shots that gave the Barangay the upper hand.
Abarrientos made it rain in the second half, scoring 30 points in the last two quarters, draining six triples in the process. He then put on the finishing touches in the penultimate period as he powered Ginebra to a 15-point advantage, 90-75, before sinking the four free throws in the final minute that sealed the deal for the Gin Kings.
Aside from Rhonjay, five other red shirts posted double-digit scoring for BGSM. Scottie Thompson posted a triple-double of 13 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists while Japeth Aguilar had a solid 16 points, six rebounds, two assists, and four blocks performance for the Barangay.
Stephen Holt and Troy Rosario also contributed 11 and 10 for the No. 5 Ginebra that stretched the quarterfinals series to a rubber-match as the fourth-ranked Converge couldn’t capitalize on its twice-to-beat advantage.
After a career-best 32-point outing during the FiberXers’ win over Ginebra in the eliminations, the Gin Kings made the necessary adjustment to contain the fiery Converge guard Juan Gomez de Liaño, limiting the rookie to just nine points on 3-of-10 shooting from the field in his first PBA playoff game.
The Gin Kings also made things tough for the Converge big man, Justin Arana, who ended the game with just six points and four rebounds.
The lone bright spot for the Dennis Pineda-headed team was Justine Baltazar, who delivered 19 points and 13 rebounds in a losing effort.
The two teams will meet again on Sunday, December 28, in a do-or-die match, in which the winner will book their place in the All-Filipino Conference semifinals. In the Final Four round, they will face the defending champions San Miguel Beermen, who already earned their set earlier after eliminating NLEX Road Warriors in their own quarterfinal showdown.