NorthPort extended its campaign in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup by securing a 108-103 victory over Barangay Ginebra in Game 4 on Wednesday, March 5, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
After suffering blowout losses in the first three games—losing by an average of 20.6 points—the Batang Pier finally found a way to stay alive and force a Game 5 on Friday, March 7.
Barangay Ginebra relied on their balanced scoring to capture the win in Game 1 of their PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup semifinal series against NorthPort, 115-93, last night, February 26, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Justin Brownlee led the charge for the Gin Kings, pouring in 19 points, four rebounds, and four assists in just 32 minutes of play.
Brownlee was supported by his local teammates, led by Troy Rosario, who scored 15 points, followed by RJ Abarrientos with 14, while Japeth Aguilar added 11.
The first half of the match was a close battle, with Ginebra holding only a five-point lead over the Batang Pier, 56-51.
However, in the third quarter, the Gin Kings unleashed a barrage of points while locking down NorthPort defensively, outscoring them 32-14.
Heading into the fourth period, Ginebra never looked back, maintaining their commanding lead and still outscoring the Batang Pier 28-27 to secure the victory.
Despite the dominant win, Ginebra coach Tim Cone remained cautious, saying it was just one win in a long series.
Still, the victory is a big boost for a Ginebra team that struggled to get ideal training during the long break, with Cone, Brownlee, Rosario, Scottie Thompson, Jamie Malonzo, Japeth Aguilar, and LA Tenorio all serving duties with Gilas Pilipinas.
The Northport Batang Pier exhibited steady resolve as they nailed their first win against Ginebra in five years following a thrilling 119-116 victory on Wednesday, January 8, in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at Philsports Arena in Pasig City.
The Batang Pier maintained their lead in the rankings, hiking a 7-1 win-loss record, demonstrating the kind of resolute effort typically seen by traditional contenders.
TNT Tropang Giga was unable to hold on to the tight defense of Northport Batang Pier, which won its fourth straight game, 100-95, on Sunday night at the Ynares Center, Antipolo City.
However, TNT managed to cut the lead to 97-95 with 1:43 left on the game clock when Rondae Hollis-Jefferson made a free throw, but Joshua Munzon successfully converted his three-point shot to keep the Batang Pier from losing the lead.
“I just take that shcot with confidence. The play wasn't even for me but [my teammates] found me. I was open and I was happy that I made that shot. I was confident in myself. Every time I shoot the ball, I think it's going in," said Munzon.
Northport Batang Pier assistant coach Renzy Bajar said the key to their win was their strong defense against TNT.
The Batang Pier also took advantage of the suspension of big man Poy Erram, who was penalized for hitting Glenn Yang in TNT’s conference-opening loss to Hong Kong Eastern this weekend.
