Despite a slow start, defending champion Barangay Ginebra bounced back to secure a 100-86 victory over Converge in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Araneta Coliseum on Friday.
Tony Bishop led with 34 points, and Christian Standhardinger contributed 25 points along with 16 rebounds as Barangay Ginebra secured a victory in their first game this season.
The Gin Kings relied on Standhardinger to recover from a shaky start, trailing the FiberXers by 5 points, 30-25.
In the second quarter, Bishop and Japeth Aguilar stepped up, scoring crucial baskets to tie the game at 39-all for Ginebra.
Jerrick Balanza and Mike Nieto briefly propelled the FiberXers ahead, but Stanley Pringle’s three-pointer initiated a 9-0 run for the Gin Kings, granting Ginebra a 54-50 advantage.
Converge, facing a 66-58 deficit in the third quarter, staged a comeback as Balanza and Arana orchestrated a 7-0 blitz, bringing them within a point at 66-65.
However, Bishop delivered an and-1 play and sparked a 9-0 run for Ginebra, establishing a 13-point gap at 80-67 entering the final period.
Aldin Ayo’s team fought hard in the fourth quarter but couldn’t narrow the gap to less than eight points against the champion Ginebra.
The post Gin Kings overcome rust to thwart hard-luck FiberXers first appeared on Fastbreak.
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