PBA: Elasto Painters get second straight win
The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters got their second straight win of the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup after overcoming the defending champions San Miguel Beermen in their Tuesday night clash, December 10, at the Filoil EcoOil Arena in San Juan City.
Import Deon Thompon posted 18 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals, and three blocks to lead the charge for RoS even though he was only limited to 31 minutes of play because of foul trouble.
Young guns took charge in the fourth quarter to supplement the game of their import.
Adrian Nocum led the youngsters with his 15 markers, to go along with four boards, five dimes, and four deflections, while Caelan Tiongson added 14 points, three rebounds and two assists.
Felix Pangilinan-Lemetti was also impressive with his 12 points, three rebounds, five assists and one steal, while Keith Datu provided 12 markers, two boards, and a block.
Another young but tough E-Painters was Jhonard Clarito who also played a solid game by racking up a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds.
Meanwhile, June Mar Fajardo paced the defending champion SMB with his 20 points and 10 rebounds.
Quincy Miller, who played his last game of the conference as San Miguel's reinforcement, produced 12 markers and 10 boards.
Torren Jones will replace Miller for the mid-season conference and will serve as Quincy's partner in the EASL.
The scores:
Rain or Shine 107 - Thompson 18, Nocum 15, Tiongson 14, Datu 12, Lemetti 12, Clarito 10, Santillan 9, Caracut 8, Asistio 4, Norwood 3, Ildefonso 2, Belga 0, Demusis 0.
San Miguel 93 - Fajardo 20, Tiongson 16, Miller 12, Tautuaa 10, Perez 9, Trollano 7, Cruz 7, Teng 5, Lassiter 3, Ross 3, Cahilig 1.
Quarter Scores: 19-25, 47-42, 70-72, 107-93.
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The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) announced on Wednesday, April 2, the final 10 names completing its 50 Greatest Players list, as the league prepares to celebrate its 50th Founding Anniversary on April 9.
Joining the prestigious list are Nelson Asaytono, Jeffrey Cariaso, Rene “Bong” Hawkins Jr., June Mar Fajardo, Abraham Columbus “Abe” King Jr., Daniel Charles “Danny” Seigle, Earl Scottie Thompson, Arnulfo “Arnie” Tuadles, Manuel “Manny” Victorino, and Elpidio “Yoyoy” Villamin.
The PBA first honored its 25 Greatest Players in 2000 as part of its 25th anniversary. The inaugural list featured:
- William “Bogs” Adornado
- Freddie Hubalde
- Robert “Sonny” Jaworski Sr.
- Fortunato “Atoy” Co
- Philip Cezar
- Ramon Fernandez
- Alberto “Abet” Guidaben
- Ricardo Brown
- Allan Caidic
- Venancio “Benjie” Paras
- Alvin Patrimonio
- Renato “Ato” Agustin
- Vergel Meneses
- Johnny Abarrientos
- Kenneth Duremdes
- Francis Arnaiz
- Bernard “Bernie” Fabiosa
- Danilo “Danny” Florencio
- Lim Eng Beng
- Isabelo “Jojo” Lastimosa
- Avelino “Samboy” Lim
- Jerry Codiñera
- Manuel “Manny” Paner
- Ronnie Magsanoc
- Hector Calma
TNT extended the PBA 49th Season Commissioner’s Cup Finals to a decisive Game 7 after securing a hard-fought 87-83 victory over Barangay Ginebra on Wednesday night, March 26, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Tropang Giga bounced back from their Game 5 struggles—where tensions flared between Poy Erram and head coach Chot Reyes—by delivering a composed and determined performance in front of 17,654 fans, the largest PBA crowd in two seasons.
Erram, who was at the center of controversy in the previous game, stepped up when it mattered the most.
The Ateneo de Manila product poured in 10 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter, knocking down crucial baskets, including a three-pointer and a reverse layup, during a pivotal 9-0 run that gave TNT its biggest lead of the night at 72-62. He also calmly sank key free throws in the final minutes to fend off Ginebra’s late surge.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson led TNT’s charge with a stellar all-around performance, posting a game-high 29 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, and three steals.
Despite missing two crucial free throws earlier, he redeemed himself by calmly sinking a pair of charities with six seconds left, securing the win as Ginebra’s Scottie Thompson misfired on a desperate four-point attempt.
Rey Nambatac also played a key role, contributing 23 markers, including a crucial four-pointer that put TNT ahead at the end of the third quarter, 63-62—a lead they never relinquished. He also registered five boards and three deflections to earn Best Player of the Game.
Calvin Oftana was also instrumental in the win as he chipped in 14 points, drilling four three-pointers.
On the other side, Justin Brownlee paced Ginebra with 22 markers, seven boards, four dimes, and two rejections but struggled with ball security, committing a game-high seven turnovers.
Thompson managed 12 points but shot 4-of-11, while RJ Abarrientos, returning to action, added 12 markers on 5-of-7 shooting.
The PBA last saw a Game 7 championship showdown in the 2022-2023 Commissioner’s Cup when Ginebra defeated the Bay Area Dragons before a record crowd of 54,589 at the Philippine Arena.
With the best-of-seven series now tied at 3-3, TNT and Ginebra will battle for the championship in a high-stakes Game 7 showdown on Friday, March 28, at the Big Dome.
The Scores:
TNT 87 – Hollis-Jefferson 29, Nambatac 23, Oftana 14, Erram 14, Khobuntin 4, Pogoy 3, Heruela 0, Aurin 0, Williams 0.
GINEBRA 83 – Brownlee 22, Thompson 12, Abarrientos 12, Holt 11, J. Aguilar 11, Malonzo 6, Rosario 6, Ahanmisi 3.
Quarter Scores: 22-22; 38-42; 63-62; 87-83.
Barangay Ginebra inched closer to another PBA championship after a hard-fought 73-66 win over TNT in Game 5 of the Commissioner’s Cup Finals on Sunday night, March 23, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Scottie Thompson and Justin Brownlee took charge in the final minutes, scoring the Gin Kings’ last 12 points while their teammates locked down the Tropang Giga defensively.
With under four minutes remaining and Ginebra trailing by one, Thompson hit a crucial jumper to give his team a 67-66 edge. From there, star import Brownlee took over, extending the lead and sealing the pivotal 3-2 advantage in the best-of-seven series.
“Honestly, we think we all knew from our side that Justin was struggling with his hand a bit more today than the last game and so everybody had to step up,” said Ginebra head coach Tim Cone.
“And even though Justin made big shots down the stretch, it was the inspiration of Scottie that turned the tide for us. We didn’t play a good first half. The first half was like in second gear. We knew at halftime we had to step it up to a higher gear to have a chance,” he added.
TNT struggled to respond, failing to convert a single field goal after Rey Nambatac’s free throws at the 4:25 mark.
Despite late attempts from Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Glen Khobuntin, and RR Pogoy following an RJ Abarrientos turnover with 25.2 seconds left, the Tropang Giga couldn’t capitalize, allowing Ginebra to escape with the win.
Brownlee, despite dealing with a right thumb injury, led Ginebra with 18 points on an efficient 9-of-15 shooting, adding 14 rebounds and five assists.
Thompson led the local unit with a double-double output of 16 markers, 10 boards, and five dimes, while Japeth Aguilar and Maverick Ahanmisi chipped in 11 apiece.
On the other hand, RHJ paced TNT with 19 points but struggled with his efficiency, making just seven of 26 attempts from the field. Nambatac also recorded 19 markers built on three triples.
Calvin Oftana, Kim Aurin, and Pogoy each scored eight points, but their efforts weren’t enough to regain control of the series after holding a 2-1 lead earlier.
With the 3-2 series lead, Ginebra now has the chance to close out the finals and capture the championship on Wednesday, March 26, at the same venue in Quezon City.
The Scores:
GINEBRA 73 – Brownlee 18, Thompson 16, J.Aguilar 11, Ahanmisi 11, Rosario 6, Malonzo 6, Holt 3, Abarrientos 2, Tenorio 0
TNT 66 – Hollis-Jefferson 19, Nambatac 19, Oftana 8, Pogoy 8, Aurin 8, Erram 4, Heruela 0, Williams 0, Exciminiano 0, Khobuntin 0
Quarter Scores: 17-24, 35-45, 57-56, 73-66