MANILA – Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings drew first blood in the 2022-2023 PBA Governors’ Cup finals with a 102-90 victory over TNT Tropang Giga in Game 1 on Easter Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Justin Brownlee led the way with 31 points, including 17 in the opening quarter, to go with 12 rebounds, while Jamie Malonzo chipped in 21 markers and eight boards as the Gin Kings took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven titular series.
Christian Standhardinger had double-double 16 points and 11 rebounds, Stanley Pringle had 11 markers on three triples, while Earl Scottie Thompson had triple-double 10 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists for the defending champions Ginebra.
Down 8-5 early in the contest, the Gin Kings got back-to-back triples from Brownlee and Jeremiah Gray, inside hits from Standhardinger and Thompson and two more triples from Brownlee for a 29-20 lead.
The Gin Kings went on to build a 37-23 lead on inside hits from Pringle and Nard John Pinto but the Tropang Giga leaned on 11 straight points from Calvin Oftana to cut the deficit to 38-41.
Ginebra answered with a free throw from Gray, an inside hit from Standhardinger and a Thompson triple to make it 47-41 but back-to-back baskets by Mikey Williams kept the Tropang Giga from within striking distance at 43-50 at the half.
The Tropang Giga clawed to within 52-54 early in the third after a triple by Williams but three-pointers by Brownlee and Malonzo and inside attacks by Standhardinger gave the Gin Kings a 74-60 advantage.
TNT clawed to within single digits in the fourth frame at 67-76 after free throws by John Paul Erram but Ginebra got back-to-back triples from Aljon Mariano and Malonzo and five straight points from Malonzo gave Ginebra its largest lead at 92-74.
The Tropang Giga made its last push at 90-99 following five straight points by Williams but a booming corner triple from Pringle with under two minutes left sealed the win for the Gin Kings.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson had double-double 32 points and 20 rebounds, Williams added 23 markers, including five three-pointers, while Oftana contributed 16 points for the Tropang Giga.
BOX SCORE:
GINEBRA 102 – Brownlee 31, Malonzo 21, Standhardinger 16, Pringle 11, Thompson 10, Gray 6, Mariano 5, Pinto 2, David 0, Onwubere 0.
TNT 90 – Hollis-Jefferson 32, M. Williams 23, Oftana 16, Pogoy 6, Castro 4, Chua 3, Khobuntin 2, Montalbo 2, Varilla 0, Ganuelas-Rosser 0.
Quarterscores: 29-20, 50-43, 74-62, 102-90./PN
