Ginebra has again proven effective with the new addition of former Northport guard Stanley Pringle as they defeated the Alaska Aces, 118-106, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last Sunday, June 30 for another elimination match of the 2019 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner’s Cup.
Justin Brownlee successfully chipped 3-of-5 from beyond the arch as he totalled 27 points. Pringle scored the same amount of points, while LA Tenorio and Japeth Aguilar both contributed 22 points individually, mostly performing in the fourth quarter. Specifically, Tenorio also succeeded from the three-point line, making six of his eight attempts. Aguilar fared with a double-double, also adding 10 rebounds.
For Alaska, Chris Banchero fought for a win at 29 points, while returning import Diamon Simpson scored 22. Vic Manuel totalled 18 points.
Ginebra head coach Tim Cone said that this win is a “big difference from the last game, especially in the second half,” saying, “We played with a lot more fire. I thought last game, we kinda got loath into sleep that the game was easy. We had a halftime lead and we didn’t work for it.” He added, “There’s a big difference from this game to last game, especially in the second half. We came out with a lot more fire. Alaska made tough shots all game long. I was just really impressed how well they played, but we just kinda overwhelmed them there with our 3-point shooting in the last three or four minutes.”
When it comes to the tandem of his players, Cone also revealed, “We tried to use Justin and Stanley together down the stretch, and that created shots for LA. LA is used to have all the attention on him. I think he’s kinda shocked of how open he is all of a sudden and we all know what kind of shooter he is.”
The Ginebra Kings now stand with five wins and four losses. On the other hand, Alaska is now suffering from four wins and five losses.
The Coach Tim Cone-led squad will have another chance to elevate their playoff bid on Sunday, July 7 against the Magnolia Hotshots at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Alaska, on the other hand, attempts to return to their winning form the day before against Rain or Shine at the Mall of Asia Arena.