Following a heartbreaking loss to Meralco, Ginebra found itself back on the winner’s track in the PBA Philippine Cup after slipping past Magnolia.
When an arena reverberates with the iconic “Ginebra” chants down the stretch, more often than not, something magical follows for the Gin Kings.
And as soon as fans inside the Smart Araneta Coliseum did just that Sunday night, June 1, the well-loved squad went on a pivotal run to secure a classic 85-81 win over rival Magnolia in the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup.
Ginebra secured its playoff seat owing to its 6-3 win-loss tally. It has its eyes set on a top-4 finish for the win-once incentive in the quarterfinals.
[WATCH: Ginebra bests Magnolia in Manila Clasico showdown | PBA Highlights]
The latest installment of Manila Clasico did not disappoint, treating fans to a thrilling finish with the Gin Kings riding a 9-2 surge for an 85-79 advantage heading into the last 82 seconds.
Jamie Malonzo starred for the Gin Kings in that telling stretch, dropping five points punctuated by a dagger triple.
But before Malonzo's late-game heroics, Japeth Aguilar showed the way with his 17 points and 11 rebounds.
Troy Rosario was an additional helping hand with his 15 markers, five boards, three assists and a steal.
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Stephen Holt, named Player of the Game, wound up with 14 points, seven rebounds, two dimes and a swipe, while Malonzo submitted 11 points, five rebounds and two steals.
Ginebra coach Tim Cone, who was tossed in the Gin Kings' previous game against Meralco for incurring two technical fouls in the dying seconds, was one proud mentor.
“It was a huge statement game for us. We were playing for our playoff lives in that game. We put a couple of losses together. It would've been tough to get back into the hunt for the top 4,” Cone said.
“But this keeps us firmly in the hunt, still allows us to control our destiny. We ran into a really good Meralco team the last time out, and we knew we're going to get much the same in Magnolia. But this time, I thought we put up a better fight. We just persevered through the adversity and just overall showed a lot of grit tonight. That's what we're hoping to develop on this team.”
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Ian Sangalang paced Magnolia with 16 points and 12 rebounds, while Zavier Lucero also finished with the same number of points he complemented with eight boards and two steals.
The Hotshots now share the top spot with NLEX with their identical 7-2 records.
Ginebra vs Magnolia scores:
GINEBRA 85 – J.Aguilar 17, Rosario 15, Holt 14, Malonzo 11, Abarrientos 10, Thompson 5, David 5, Pinto 4, Adamos 4, Gray 0.
MAGNOLIA 81 – Sangalang 16, Lucero 16, Barroca 9, Laput 9, Lastimosa 8, Lee 6, Navarro 5, Dela Rosa 5, Alfaro 4, Dionisio 3.
Quarterscores: 22-24, 44-39, 59-68, 85-81.