PBA: Ginebra weathers Converge, sets up semis duel vs San Miguel
Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings’ Japeth Aguilar during a PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinals game against Converge FiberXers. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
Barangay Ginebra set up a semifinals date with sibling rival San Miguel Beer after taking down Converge, 88-80, in the PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinals on Friday at Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Japeth Aguilar once again outworked the younger duo of Justin Arana and Justine Baltazar to finish with 19 points and 13 rebounds as the Gin Kings made sure they would need just one game to finish off the FiberXers and secure a place in the Final Four of the centerpiece conference.
LIVE: PBA quarterfinals – Meralco vs San Miguel, Ginebra vs Converge
RJ Abarrientos topscored with 21 points while Jamie Malonzo, Stephen Holt and Troy Rosario also contributed to the victory that sent Ginebra to a best-of-seven affair with San Miguel.
San Miguel, earlier, dethroned last year’s all-Filipino winner Meralco, 108-97, to become the first team to secure a semifinals berth.
Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings’ Troy Rosario, Jamie Malonzo and RJ Abarrientos during a PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinals game against Converge FiberXers. – MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
It will be a rematch of their semifinals encounter in the season-opening PBA Governors’ Cup when Ginebra beat San Miguel in six games.
Game 1 of their showdown is set for Wednesday.
Ginebra had to weather a Converge fightback in the third when the latter got to within two thrice from a 48-39 halftime deficit.
But Aguilar, Abarrientos, Holt and Rosario made sure Ginebra would cut off Converge’s rally and forced the FiberXers to play catch up in the fourth when the lead ballooned again.
Arana and Baltazar had 15 and 13 points, respectively, as the FiberXers saw their season come to a close with another quarterfinal exit.
Converge lost in the quarters to San Miguel in the Governors’ Cup and Rain or Shine in the Commissioner’s Cup.
