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Calvin Oftana helped the TNT Tropang Giga defeat the Meralco Bolts, 101-99, in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup on Tuesday, January 7, at the Philsports Arena. 

Oftana matched Rondae Hollis-Jefferson’s output by posting 24 points, hitting 3-of-5 from beyond the arc, while adding four rebounds and two assists, earning him Player of the Game honors. 

"Those breaks, we don't take it as a break. We are also conditioning ourselves since the conference is still ongoing. That's our job and we're happy that we won today because it's our first game and our minds are still very much on the cloud. At least now, December is over," Oftana said during the post-game press conference.

TNT head coach Chot Reyes praised the team’s flexibility, especially in the second half as Meralco tightened their defense against Oftana. 

"In the second half, they [Meralco] never left Calvin. That's why we needed Roger [Pogoy] to step up and Jayson [Castro] hit that big three," said Reyes.

"That's how our game is, we empower our players to make plays and the key really is their selflessness and their awareness. They just have to be aware of what the situation is and then they have to be very willing," he added.

Meralco rallied to tie the game 99-all in the closing seconds after TNT, fresh off a 19-day break, took a commanding 23-point advantage early on. 

The two teams kept trading baskets until Cliff Hodge fouled Hollis-Jefferson. RHJ’s free throws with ten seconds remaining in the game gave the Tropang Giga the victory.

In a solid all-around performance, the TNT’s super import finished with 24 markers, 13 boards, and five dimes, with Rey Nambatac contributing 15 points in the win.

Import Akil Mitchell topped Meralco’s scoring column with 24 markers, 18 rebounds, and seven assists, while Chris Newsome chipped in 19 points and eight dimes in the losing cause.

TNT is set to battle Converge on Saturday, January 11, while Meralco will try to claw back when they go against NLEX on Friday, January 10.

The Scores:

TNT 101 – Hollis-Jefferson 24, Oftana 24, Nambatac 15, Pogoy 12, Castro 7, Erram 6, Galinato 5, Aurin 5, Khobuntin 3, Razon 0, Varilla 0.

MERALCO 99 – Mitchell 24, Newsome 19, Banchero 14, Quinto 12, Black 8, Hodge 6, Rios 5, Bates 4, Almazan 4, Cansino 3, Caram 0.

Quarter Scores: 27-17, 52-35, 79-68, 101-99.

Barangay Ginebra emerged victorious as they eked out a 95-92 win against the Magnolia Hotshots in their Christmas Clasico duel in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup on Wednesday, December 25, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Scottie Thompson spearheaded the thrilling victory after firing a game-winning triple at the left corner as the fourth quarter buzzer sounded to complete the Gin Kings’ 22-point comeback, improving their record to 4-2.

RJ Abarrientos was named Player of the Game, finishing with 20 points and five assists. His valiant efforts helped the team escape its deep rut and cleared the path for Thompson. 

“They were designed for RJ to make a decision,” coach Tim Cone said of the final moments of the contest. “We put the game in RJ’s hands and he delivered with a great pass to Scottie.”

Ginebra cut its deficit in half to 67-78 as Abarrientos scored three consecutive three-pointers to conclude the third period. Then, in the decider round, Abarrientos sank eight more points before setting up Thompson for the shot that sent more than 12,000 fans into a frenzy.

It was also a noteworthy night for Thompson as he became the 32nd player in the league to reach the historic milestone of 2,000 assists.

Import Justin Brownlee registered a game-high 28 points to go along with seven rebounds and five assists, while Thompson posted 14 markers, five boards and six dimes. 

The Hotshots, on the other hand, dropped to 2-5 slate.

Magnolia Import Ricardo Ratliffe led the Hotshots with 17 points, 16 rebounds, and four assists. Mark Barroca tallied 13, while Paul Lee and Ian Sangalang chipped in 11 apiece.

The Scores:

GINEBRA 95 – Brownlee 28, Abarrientos 20, Rosario 15, Thompson 14, J.Aguilar 8, Holt 5, M. Ahanmisi 5, Tenorio 0, Cu 0, Mariano 0.

MAGNOLIA 92 – Ratliffe 17, Barroca 13, Lee 11, Sangalang 11, Lucero 8, Balanza 8, Dela Rosa 7, Dionisio 6, Lastimosa 6, Abueva 5, J. Ahanmisi 0.

Quarter Scores: 24-30, 41-55, 67-78, 95-92.

Jordan Heading exhibited an all-around performance to power Converge past Meralco, 110-94, in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup on Wednesday, December 25, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Heading tallied a 30-game output for the FiberXers, along with five rebounds, and eight assists as they notched their fourth straight win in their first-ever Christmas Day appearance.

“I try to approach this game like I approach every game, which is part of being a professional: You have a routine and you try to stick to your routine every single game. Obviously, there’s a little excitement but I’m used to it for as long as I can remember,” the Filipino-Australian playmaker said as Converge rose to 6-2 in the midseason conference.

The FiberXers had a 20-point advantage, 94-74, with less than eight minutes left in the fourth period before the Bolts edged closer, 102-88, at the 2:57 mark.

However, charities from Heading and a basket from import Cheick Diallo further increased the gap, while Justin Arana's consecutive baskets with less than two minutes remaining ultimately secured the win.

The victory was more meaningful to head coach Franco Atienza due to the fact that the FiberXers upset a club of championship caliber like the Bolts.

“This is a championship-caliber team and they are plagued with injuries,” said Atienza. “Maybe we were lucky they were not in their best form, although they really competed now.” 

“We were just lucky that we got Meralco when they were not super 100 percent. Not taking anything away from them, but we believe they are a far better team,” he concluded.

Diallo backstopped Heading’s efforts by producing 24 markers and 18 boards, while top draft pick Justine Baltazar netted his season high, delivering 16 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and a steal.

Meanwhile, returning import Akil Mitchell posted 29 markers and 18 boards as Meralco suffered its second straight loss after winning its first three games.

Bong Quinto and Cliff Hodge had 23 and 10, respectively, while Chris Newsome was only limited to nine points and five rebounds. 

The Scores:

CONVERGE 110 – Heading 30, Diallo 24, Baltazar 16, Winston 11, Stockton 10, Arana 7, Andrada 5, Racal 3, Delos Santos 2, Santos 2, Fornillos 0, Nieto 0, Ambohot 0, Caralipio 0, Javillonar 0.

MERALCO 94 – Mitchell 29, Quinto 23, Hodge 10, Newsome 9, Banchero 6, Maliksi 5, Reyson 3, Pascual 3, Black 2, Rios 2, Caram 2, Torres 0.

Quarter Scores: 26-20, 58-41, 85-66, 110-94.

Jayson Castro scored 16 points and made an immediate impact in his first game of the PBA Season 49 Commissioner's Cup.

Castro added three steals and two assists in his return to help TNT Tropang Giga get the 109-93 victory over the Blackwater Bossing on Thursday night, December 19, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

The nine-time PBA champion missed TNT's first three games due to hamstring issues.

TNT's all-around import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson supported Castro with his 22 points, nine rebounds, five dimes, five deflections, and a block.

Four more Tropang Giga scored in double digits to get their second straight victory of the tourney. Rey Nambatac contributed 19, Calvin Oftana provided 18, RR Pogoy put up 12, and Glenn Khobuntin added 10.

Meanwhile, Blackwater high-scoring import George King, who averaged 39 points per game, was only limited to a conference-low 28 markers on 10-of-22.

The Bossing also don't have their prized rookie Sedrick Barefield due to injury.

With King being handcuffed and Barefield not in the lineup, RK Ilagan stepped up and poured out 19 points highlighted by 3-of-3 shooting from the arc.

The game was the last of the year for both teams.

TNT will be back in action on January 7 against Meralco Bolts, while Blackwater will come back on January 8 to face Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.

Sweet-shooting guard Jordan Heading and import Cheick Diallo poured out 21 points each to lead Converge in their victory over the Phoenix Fuel Masters, 116-105, on Thursday night, December 19, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

The win marked the first time that the FiberXers won back-to-back games in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner's Cup and improved their record to 4-2.

Besides Heading and Diallo, four more Converge players scored in double digits. Schonny Winston and Bryan Santos contributed 16 apiece, while Alec Stockton and BJ Andrade added 14 and 11, respectively.

Their twin towers, ace center Justin Arana and top pick rookie Justine Baltazar both came out with six markers.

"We give credit to our guys," said FiberXers acting head coach Franco Atienza, who admitted that he was anxious when Phoenix made a good start that led to a 20-2 lead.

"We just stuck on, we didn't panic. We returned to how we want to run our system, how to run our offense, our defense," Atienza added.

Converge will have a chance to extend their win streak when they face Barangay Ginebra on Saturday, December 21, in Batangas City, and against Meralco Bolts on Christmas day at the Big Dome.

Meanwhile, Donovan Mitchell led Phoenix with 30 points and 18 rebounds. He was supported by RJ Jazul's 20, Tyler Tio's 13, and Ricci Rivero's 11. 

The Fuel Masters now have a 1-5 win-loss record after dropping their final game of the year.

The Scores:

CONVERGE 116 - Heading 21, Diallo 21, Winston 16, Santos 16, Stockton 14, Andrade 11, Arana 6, Baltazar 6, Racal 5, Delos Santos 0, Caralipio 0.

PHOENIX 105 - Smith 30, Jazul 20, Tio 13, Perkins 12, Rivero 11, Tuffin 8, Verano 4, Garcia 3, Soyud 2, Manganti 2, Salado 0, Alejandro 0, Muyang 0, Ular 0, Daves 0.

Quarter Scores: 15-30, 48-54, 87-80, 116-105.

San Miguel failed to earn its breakthrough win in the 2024-25 East Asia Super League (EASL) after bowing to Hong Kong Eastern, 62-71, at Southorn Stadium in Hong Kong, on Wednesday, December 18.

Kobey Lam spearheaded the pivotal comeback, registering 19 points, which gave the Hong Kong squad its first victory in the EASL game. 

Notwithstanding the efforts of June Mar Fajardo and recently signed import Torren Jones for San Miguel, Eastern maintained their lead.

After a difficult turn-around shot by Fajardo, the Beermen were able to cut the margin to just two points at 58-60 in the fourth quarter.

However, just when it appeared that San Miguel had the advantage, Lam blazed through when he scored five of Eastern’s 9-0 run.

Lam also posted three rebounds and one assist for the Hong Kong-based squad, with Chris McLaughlin tallying a double-double of 16 markers and 17 boards, while Glenn Yang contributed 11 for the home team. 

Fajardo and Jones led the charge for the Beermen with 19 points each, but their efforts were for naught as they failed to keep the team from suffering a third straight loss and dropping to the bottom of Group A.

The loss was the first in three games for Leo Austria since taking over as coach last week in place of Jorge Gallent.

San Miguel will aim to finally grab their first win in the EASL as they face the Hiroshima Dragonflies on January 8 at the Hiroshima Sun Plaza in Japan.

The Scores:

Hong Kong 71 – Lam 19, McLaughlin 16, Yang 11, Blankley 7, Xu 5, Leung 5, Chan 4, Zhu 4, Cheung 0, Pok 0, Guinchard 0. 

San Miguel 62 – Fajardo 19, Jones 19, Perez 8, Miller 5, Trollano 3, Tautuaa 3, Cahilig 3, Rosales 2, Ross 0, Lassiter 0. 

Quarter Scores: 28-14, 48-34, 60-48, 71-62. 

Busan KCC Egis captured their first win at the East Asia Super League (EASL) after defeating the Meralco Bolts, 72-68, thanks to the late-game heroics of Heo Ung on Wednesday night, December 18, at the Sajik Gymnasium in Busan, South Korea.

Busan led a spectacular comeback, winning the game by a commanding 19–2 run in the final four minutes of the game. 

Ung led the charge after sinking four straight triples, converting a 13-point deficit into their first win of the EASL season. 

The Bolts had the opportunity to turn the game around, but a series of missed opportunities and defensive errors allowed Busan to stage a rally.

Ung finished with a game-high 31 points, including his game-winning layup with 12 seconds left on the clock which propelled Busan ahead, 69-68, completing the comeback. 

Deonte Burton also added 26 markers, 14 rebounds, and five assists in the win.

DJ Kennedy led the charge for the Bolts with 23 points and nine rebounds, while Akil Mitchell contributed a double-double of 17 points and 18 rebounds that put Meralco in a 2-2 win-loss record. 

The Meralco Bolts will face the Ryukyu Golden Kings in the next EASL game on January 22. 

Busan, on the other hand, will try to claim their second straight win when they go against the Macau Black Bears on January 15.

The Scores:

Busan KCC 72 – Heo 31, Burton 26, Choi 5, Williams 4, Lee 4, Lee G. 2, Epistola 0, Jung 0.

Meralco 68 – Kennedy 23, Mitchell 17, Kouame 8, Newsome 5, Hodge 3, Quinto 3, Caram 3, Black 2, Bates 2, Caram 2.

Quarter Scores: 13-12, 31-31, 51-50, 72-68.

Barangay Ginebra got back on track after defeating Terrafirma Dyip, 114-98, in the ongoing PBA Season 49 Commissioners’ Cup held at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium last Wednesday night, December 18.

Justin Brownlee led Ginebra’s with 49 points, while RJ Abarrientos contributed 18 points, six assists and two steals, and Troy Rosario added 17 markers and five rebounds.

“We just wanted to bounce back and have a better outing. Tonight, I just found myself open a lot, so I just took advantage of that,” Brownlee said.

Ginebra improved to 3-1 in the standings as Terrafirma remained winless through six games.

The win was also a big challenge for the Gin Kings due to the absence of Japeth Aguilar and Stephen Holt, both of whom were injured last Sunday when they faced Hong Kong Eastern.

“We haven’t been able to assess as deeply as we want to assess, but neither of them were really to play tonight,” said coach Tim Cone. 

“It was a good win for us because we are missing two starters, two really important starters that have been contributing big time for us in Japeth and Stephen. There was a little bit of anxiety coming into this basketball game, wondering if we could match-up,” Cone added.

Meanwhile, Terrafirma’s import Brandon Edwards, scored 27 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, while Vic Manuel’s 19 points did not work for the Dyip.

Stanley Pringle’s 11 markers, nine dimes, and three steals went for naught in the first time that he faced his former team.

The scores:

Ginebra 114 - Brownlee 49, Abarrientos 18, Rosario 17, Thompson 8, Adamos 7, Pessumal 6, Mariano 5, Ahanmisi 4, Cu 0, Tenorio 0, Pinto 0.

Terrafirma 98 - Edwards 27, Manuel 19, Pringle 11, Hernandez 10, Ferrer 9, Paraiso 8, Ramos 5, Melecio 5, Sangalang 2, Catapusan 2, Olivario 0, Hanapi 0.

Quarter Scores: 26-20, 52-43, 85-69, 114-98.

Rain or Shine survived and continued their winning streak to three after defeating Magnolia, 102-100, in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup last Wednesday night, December 18, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila.

The Elasto Painters improved their standings to 3-1 and sent the Hotshots to their fourth straight loss, putting them to a 1-4 win-loss record.

RoS Import Deon Thompson led the way, hitting 18 points, 15 rebounds, three blocks and three steals, while Santi Santillan had 17 points, and Andrei Caracut had 15 points, three assists and two rebounds.

“For most of the first half and third quarter, we had the game under control, actually. It’s just that the momentum we had lost towards the end of the third quarter went to them,” said coach Yeng Guiao.

Guiao was also referring to the 13-point lead they built, 79-66, at 3:56 of the third period that Magnolia erased to take a 98-86 advantage in the fourth quarter. But the Elasto Painters went on a 12-2 run to regain the lead at 102-100 with 3:26 left.

“The good thing about this (win) is that it was great when we came back. We got it back. Usually, if you were in our old team, when you collapse like that, you can’t come back,” said Guiao.

Meanwhile, Hotshots’ import Ricardo Ratliffe picked up his sixth and final foul at 2:46 left and coach Chito Victolero’s team couldn’t score again.

Paul Lee was forced to pass the ball to rookie Jerom Lastimosa who missed a four-point shot attempt at the final buzzer. Ratliffe’s 27 markers were wasted, while Ian Sangalang and Mark Barroca 21 and 18 points, respectively.

Magnolia will next face the NLEX Road Warriors on Friday, December 20, at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City, while the Elasto Painters will again try to steal another win against the winless Terrafirma Dyip on Sunday, December 22, in the same venue.

The Scores :

RAIN OR SHINE 102 - Thompson 18, Santillan 17, Caracut 15, Tiongson 11, Nocum 10, Belga 7, Calrito 6, Datu 6, Lemetti 5, Malonzo 4, Asistio 2, Ildefonso 1.

MAGNOLIA 100 - Ratliffe 27, Sangalang 21, Barroca 18, Lucero 11, Abueva 8, Lee 4, Dionisio 4, Ahanmisi 4, Dela Rosa 2, Lastimosa 1, Laput 0.

Quarter Scores: 31-23, 50-47, 81-78, 102-100.

Cheick Diallo led the Converge FiberXers to a 102-91 victory over the NLEX Road Warriors in the ongoing PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup last Tuesday night, December 17, held at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Diallo exploded for 37 points and 18 rebounds as Converge recorded a 3-2 win-loss record.

The FiberXers import dropped 12 in the fourth quarter of the game and spearheaded an 18-9 salvo that restored an 11-point cushion and extinguished the threat after the Road Warriors rallied to within two.

Converge coach Franco Atienza was pleased and happy with the result of the game and the resurgence of the 28-year-old former NBA player.

”We’re coming off a loss, so we just wanted to go back to where we were going. When you come off a loss, it leaves a bitter taste in the mouth so we wanted to go back to what we’re doing right and see where you can improve. And tonight, we’re able to play together defensively and run our system on offense,” said Atienza. 

“We have five guys almost in double digits, and a good bounce-back game for [Diallo.] He proved himself right here.  We’re least bit worried about having his numbers because this is a great league, and sometimes you get scouted, and teams plan for you. Right now it just so happened that we’re getting him, we’re seeing him, and guys are feeding off his strength,” he added.

Alec Stockton converted 14 points and 11 assists while Jordan Heading had 14 points and 11 assists.

Meanwhile, the win also marked the first for top rookie pick Justine Baltazar, who had only four points, four assists and seven rebounds in 22:51 minutes of gameplay, after losing in his debut game against Northport last week.

The loss was NLEX’s second straight, which has left them with three wins and three losses, despite getting 36 points and 23 rebounds from import Mike Watkins and 26 markers from Robert Bolick.

The Scores:

Converge 102 – Diallo 37, Stockton 16, Heading 14, Caralipio 10, Winston 8, Racal 6, Baltazar 4, Arana 4, Santos 3, Delos Santos 0, Cabagnot 0, Nieto 0.

NLEX 91 – Watkins 36, Bolick 26, Semerad 8, Alas 7, Amer 4, Torres 4, Valdez 2, Rodger 2, Herndon 2, Bahio 0, Policarpio 0.

Quarter Scores:  28-18, 52-44, 77-72, 102-91.

Phoenix ended their winless streak and handed NorthPort their first loss 115-109 in the ongoing PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup last Tuesday night, December 17, at Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Phoenix’ win was led by import Donovan Smith who scored 32 points and 14 rebounds, while Jason Perkins was also admirable, posting 24 markers, four boards, three steals, and two assists, Kenneth Tuffin had 15 points and RJ Azul produced 14.

RJ Jazul was hailed as the Best Player of the Game with 14 points and five assists.

”Hindi naman sa amin scoring yung priority. We just needed leadership and composure kasi nung mga nakaraan, third and fourth quarter kami nawawala. Ngayon, we finally learned our lesson,” said Jazul. 

Phoenix’s coach Jamike Jarin thanked his players for recording their first win after four losses.

“I just like to commend all players. They deserve this, so we just have to give credit to our veterans, especially RJ Jazul. This is big, we were 0-4, so we really needed to climb up,” coach Jarin said.

Import Kadeem Jack’s 28 points and Arvin Tolentino’s 23 were not enough, while Joshua Munzon, Evan Nelle and Sidney Onwubere each had 11 markers for the Batang Pier. 

NorthPort still sits at the top of the team standings with a 5-1 record.

The Scores:

Phoenix 115 – Smith 32, Perkins 24, Tuffin 15, Jazul 14, Manganti 9, Soyud 7, Tio 5, Salado 4, Rivero 3, Verano 2, Daves 0, Ular 0, Alejandro 0, Garcia 0.

NorthPort 109 – Jack 28, Tolentino 23, Munzon 18, Nelle 15, Onwubere 11, Bulanadi 7, Navarro 3, Flores 2, Miranda 2, Yu 0, Cuntapay 0.

Quarter Scores: 29-21, 54-45, 84-76, 115-109.

The red-hot NorthPort Batang Pier will try to list the longest winning streak in their franchise history when they face the Phoenix Fuel Masters in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup, tonight, 7:30 p.m, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Malate, Manila.

NorthPort is coming off a 5-0 record, while the Phoenix remains ​​winless in their four games.

In the Batang Pier’s 108-101 rout of the FiberXers in their last game, Fil-Am guard Joshua Munzon scored a career-high 30 points, while Import Kadeem Jack also had 32 markers and 15 rebounds.

The other teams they defeated were NLEX with 3-2 standing, Terrafirma (0-5), Magnolia (1-3) and TNT with 1-2 win-loss record.

Meanwhile, the Fuel Masters will try to get into the win column after losing to guest team Eastern (4-1), Meralco (3-1), defending San Miguel (3-2) and Barangay Ginebra (2-0).

Suwon KT will have another import to contend in the EASL.

Ismael Romero will replace Jordan Morgan who suffered a hamstring injury in the Korean Basketball League in October.

Suwon KT signed Romero but has not played for the Sonic Boom since joining the team, and now KT is expected to finish the 2024-25 season with him alongside Rayshaun Hammonds, a 6-foot-9 forward acquired earlier this year. Hammonds averaged 22.8 points and 10.5 rebounds in EASL play.

Romero is from Cuba and became a naturalized citizen of Puerto Rico in 2021, and played under the Puerto Rican flag in the recent Paris Olympics, where he scored 12 points in a loss to the United States.

Throughout Romero's career, he has played for Puerto Rico and Mexico since going undrafted in the 2013 NBA Draft. He was also a two-time BSN (Puerto Rico) champion (2020, 2022). In the 2015-16 season, the 6-foot-9 center also played for Grand Rapids Gold of the NBA G League, an affiliate organization of the Denver Nuggets.

Although KT Swon already owns Romero, he is expected to show off his skills in the EASL when the Sonic Boom next plays against Hong Kong Eastern on January 7, 2025.

The San Miguel won back-to-back games after defeating Blackwater Bossing in their encounter on Sunday night, December 15, in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City, 115-102.

Although George King led Blackwater with 40 points on 10-of-21 shooting, their local players still struggled. Sedrick Barefield made 7-of-16 for 17 points, and Christian David added 10 points.

Meanwhile, for the Beermen, eight-time PBA MVP June Mar Fajardo collected 27 points, 22 rebounds and six assists as SMB’s back-to-back wins gave them a 3-2 win-loss standing. SMB import Torren Jones, meanwhile, had 29 points and 14 rebounds.

The Beermen also had the opportunity to gain a big advantage because of their rebounding and their 28 offensive rebounds led to 28 second-chance points, where the Beermen continued to increase their advantage, which eventually reached 15 points, 113-98, on Fajardo's free throw.

According to Fajardo, they really wanted to win so they put in the 'collective effort of their team to get the win.

"Kailangang i-push ko 'yung sarili, dig deep kasi gusto naming manalo kasi pag natalo kami mahirap na. Collective effort ito ng team - players,coaching staff - kaya nakuha namin itong panalo," Fajardo said.

With the return of former SMB team consultant Leo Austria as SMB's head coach, he expressed that they were not happy with their win in the game against Bossing because of the high turnovers they made especially in the first half.

 "We're not so happy kasi 'yung turnovers namin mataas (17) and we're a little scrappy in the first half. Pero kahit ano pang sama ng laro, panalo. Kahit one point yan, a win is a win, what higit pa kung higit sa 10 puntos?" Austria said.

The Scores:

San Miguel 115 - Jones 29, Fajardo 27, Perez 15, Cruz 14, Trollano 11, Cahilig 8, Lassiter 5, Ross 4, Rosales 2, Tautuaa 0, Enciso 0, Brondial 0.

Blackwater 102 - King 40, Barefield 17, David 10, Ilagan 9, Chua 6, Ponferrada 6, Luck 5, Kwekuteye 5, Guinto 4, Casio 0, Scott 0, Hill 0.

Quarter Scores: 18-26, 55-48, 85-77, 115-102.

Hong Kong Eastern overcame the fierce defense and offense of Barangay Ginebra to claim a narrow victory in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner's Cup on Sunday night, December 15,  at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City, 93-90.

Hayden Blankley's clutch free throws helped them escape defeat and secure a narrow victory.

Blankley led Eastern with 25 points, while Christopher McLaughlin had a whopping 20 points, 21 rebounds, six assists and two blocks.

Before the end of the fourth quarter, Blankley also saved the team with a layup to make it 91-86, but the Gin Kings quickly responded with four free throws to make it 91-90 with four seconds left.

With the win, Eastern now has a 5-1 win-loss record.

According to Hong Kong Eastern head coach, Mensur Bajramovic, it was a big deal for them to get the win against Ginebra and they were happy with the result of their game because they trusted in their plan prepared for the Gin Kings.

“We made a plan knowing that Ginebra is a good team. They have individual players and they have a good style offensively and defensively. We tried in the past few days to make a plan on how to play against them. I’m happy the players believed and trust in the plan,” said coach Bajramovic. 

For the Gin Kings, Japeth Aguilar led Ginebra with 26 points on a solid 9-of-13 clip, but he limped back to the bench before the final buzzer, while Justin Brownlee was held back, making just six of his 23 field goals for 18 points and 12 rebounds.

On Friday, December 20, Eastern will try to snap Northport's four-straight win streak, while Barangay Ginebra will travel to the Batangas City Coliseum to take on the Converge FiberXers on Saturday, December 21.

The scores:

Eastern 93 - Blankley 25, McLaughlin 20, Cao 14, Yang 11, Lam 8, Chan 6, Guinchard 5, Leung 3, Xu 1, Zhu 0.

Barangay Ginebra 90 - J. Aguilar 26, Brownlee 18, Holt 14, Abarrientos 12, Rosario 12, Thompson 8, Cu 0, Adamos 0, Ahanmisi 0.

Quarter Scores: 26-25, 54-44, 73-67, 93-90.