Ginebra and San Miguel complete the Final Four cast in the 2022 PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
Ginebra shakes off slow start
Barangay Ginebra brushed off a very slow start to roll past the NorthPort Batang Pier, 99-93. Scottie Thompson filled up the box score with 15 points, nine rebounds, nine assists, two steals, and one block. The win also pushed the Gin Kings to the semifinals, where they will match up with a strong Magnolia Hotshots squad.
NorthPort led by 16 after the opening quarter, holding Ginebra to only 13 points in that span. But an early Will Navarro exit (who finished with 10 points in just eight minutes) dampened the rolling Batang Pier. Ginebra would also get their offense going in the next two quarters, buoyed by an even distribution of scoring among its key players.
Veteran sniper Jeff Chan paced NorthPort with 20 markers, while Arvin Tolentino and Kevin Ferrer poured in 18 apiece.
San Miguel makes easy work of Converge
The San Miguel Beermen banked on another fiery start to sweep the Converge FiberXers via a 120-107 victory. June Mar Fajardo was again dominant throughout, as he amassed 18 points, 18 boards, and 7 assists. This win propels the Beermen to the next round, forging a battle with the impressive Bay Area Dragons.
Terrence Romeo also put in his best game of the conference, turning in a team-high 22 markers built on an efficient 5-of-6 clip from the three-point line. It was another high-turnover game for San Miguel (25 turnovers) but their 48% shooting from deep (14-of-29) helped make up for their miscues.
Jeron Teng topscored for the Converge with his 25 points, and import Quincy Miller chipped in 24. The loss ends Aldin Ayo’s debut conference with the FiberXers, but there’s no doubt that they’ll be a force to reckon with from this point forward.
