Games on Sunday:
(Mall of Asia Arena)
5:15 p.m. — Meralco vs TNT
7:30 p.m. — Ginebra vs Rain or Shine
A different Barangay Ginebra emerged from the dugout of the Mall of Asia Arena on Friday.
It wasn’t the same one that got outhustled by Rain or Shine in the closing stretch of the series opener.
The real Kings came out to play and kept the Elasto Painters at bay in a 109-101 Game 2 escape to level the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup semifinals at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Ginebra withstood a furious fourth quarter rally by Rain or Shine that cut its once-imposing 24-point lead to just four with 32 seconds remaining, with timely baskets and crucial free throws.
Game 3 is on Sunday at the same Pasay venue.
“It was really a Rain or Shine style of game again. They played their style again. They kept the pace up and wore us down and then came down in the fourth quarter and gave themselves a chance to win,” Kings coach Tim Cone said.
“From a coaching stand point we expect them to do and you just have to hope that enough energy down the stretch to hold them at bay and you have to keep your poise. I didn’t think we kept our poise well but we were able to keep them at bay.”
Justin Brownlee came two assists shy of triple-double with 31 points on 11-of-21 field goal shooting and 15 rebounds for the Kings.
RJ Abarrientos added 25 points while Scottie Thompson finished with 15 points, six rebounds and six assists as Ginebra recovered from a 111-115 loss in Game 1 last Wednesday at the Ynares Center-Antipolo.
The Kings took control of the first half and were able to build a 62-38 advantage.
But the Elasto Painters outscored Ginebra in the last two quarters and gave the Kings a serious scare with a 13-0 run in the payoff period.
Rain or Shine dissolved Ginebra’s 101-84 lead to 101-97 after a Jaylen Johnson triple with 1:37 left.
Thompson’s pair of charities gave the Kings extra breathing room but Jhonard Clarito cut it again to four.
Troy Rosario scored on an easy basket underneath off a Brownlee assist in the last 23 seconds, followed by a four Abarrientos charities.
Adrian Nocum led the Elasto Painters 20 points, Jaylen Johnson had a double-double of 19 points and 15 boards while Clarito got 19 points and eight boards.