Barangay Ginebra Dominates San Miguel, Advances to Governors’ Cup Semis
ANTIPOLO – Barangay Ginebra didn’t just survive a do-or-die Game 5. It tore it away from San Miguel Beer in brutal, decisive fashion.
Down four entering the fourth quarter, the Gin Kings detonated a 34-14 finishing kick to crush the Beermen, 110-94, on Tuesday night at Ynares Center Antipolo and book their place in the PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup semifinals.
What had been a tense, seesaw series ended in a rout.
Murphy, Thompson take over
Jordan Murphy played like a man determined not to go home. The Ginebra import piled up 31 points and 11 rebounds, punishing San Miguel inside and out as the pressure mounted in the final frame.
Beside him, Scottie Thompson delivered one of those big-game performances that have become his signature. He fired 29 points, grabbed eight rebounds and swiped five steals, constantly prying the ball loose and turning defensive stands into quick strikes the other way.
RJ Abarrientos added 19 points, five assists and four rebounds, his shot-making and composure on the perimeter giving Ginebra a third steady option in the winner-take-all showdown.
When the game tightened, Ginebra’s core simply refused to blink.
Turning point: King fouls out
San Miguel still held hope with just over five minutes left.
Then came the moment that broke the Beermen.
Import George King, who had carried them with 31 points, picked up his sixth foul with 5:13 remaining. He walked to the bench, and with him went San Miguel’s best scoring weapon and emotional anchor.
From that point, Ginebra pounced.
Sensing blood, the Gin Kings ramped up the pace, attacked mismatches, and tore open what had been a fragile San Miguel defense. The Beermen, suddenly without their go-to import, struggled to generate clean looks. Ginebra’s lead swelled, the noise inside Ynares rose with every basket, and the game slipped away.
June Mar Fajardo finished with 20 points, while CJ Perez added 15, but their efforts couldn’t stem the late avalanche. Don Trollano chipped in 10, Jerrick Ahanmisi had nine, yet the Beermen had no answer once their import sat down for good.
A wild series, a brutal ending
The quarterfinals between the sister teams had already been a roller coaster.
Ginebra looked in complete control early, taking a 2-0 series lead with commanding wins, 104-95 and 126-99. San Miguel, stung but not broken, clawed back with a 101-99 escape and a 108-102 victory to force this decider.
Game 5 felt like it would follow that same tight, dramatic script. At halftime, San Miguel led 57-49. After three quarters, the Beermen were still in front, 80-76.
Then the fourth quarter ripped the narrative apart.
Ginebra’s defense tightened, its stars rose, and San Miguel’s composure cracked under the weight of the moment and the loss of King. A series that had promised a photo finish ended with the Beermen again on the outside of the Final Four, watching from home for the second straight conference.
TNT rematch on deck
There is no time for Ginebra to bask in the win.
Next up is defending champion TNT, in a semifinals showdown that doubles as a rematch of the Commissioner’s Cup finals — a series Ginebra won and one TNT has not forgotten.
The Tropang 5G will once again lean on resident import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, whose all-around game and relentless motor have made him one of the league’s toughest covers. Ginebra counters with the confidence of a team that just passed a high-pressure test and still thrives on the big stage.
On the other side of the bracket, NLEX meets Converge in the second best-of-five semifinal series.
The semis open on Dec. 4, with the PBA stepping aside briefly to give way to Gilas Pilipinas’ Fiba 2027 World Cup qualifying window.
Gilas window in Malaysia
Gilas, sitting fifth in Group E with a 4-4 record, faces Syria on Nov. 27 and Iran on Nov. 29 in Seremban, Malaysia, with games moved because of the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.
Naturalized player Bennie Boatwright will reinforce the national team, stepping in for the injured Justin Brownlee as Gilas tries to steady its campaign and climb the group ladder.
Back home, the league will wait.
Ginebra has punched its ticket. San Miguel has been pushed aside.
And when the lights come back on for the semifinals, the question will be simple: can the Gin Kings ride this ruthless Game 5 surge all the way through another championship run?
