Ginebra hopes to bounce back and reclaim the series edge against San Miguel in Game 5 of the PBA Season 49 Governors' Cup semifinals on Friday, Oct. 18.
Brgy. Ginebra eyes to bounce back and regain control of the PBA Season 49 Governors' Cup semifinals as it locks horns with San Miguel in a pivotal Game 5 on Friday, Oct. 18, at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
After holding a one-game lead each time only to see it vanish in the next, the Gin Kings, losers in Game 4 last Wednesday, Oct. 17, will gun to reset to take the advantage anew.
The Beermen, riding June Mar Fajardo's stellar performance, evened the best-of-seven contest for the second time, 131-121.
The pressure is mounting for Ginebra, which is yet to sustain the momentum of its series edge.
While Justin Brownlee did his magic for a 49-point eruption for the Gin Kings, it was not enough to fend off the powerhouse San Miguel squad spearheaded by June Mar Fajardo.
Fajardo bounced back from a prior subpar outing with a dominant performance in Game 4, tallying 29 points on an efficient 12-for-15 shooting, alongside 16 rebounds and three assists.
Fajardo will once again be a focal point for Ginebra’s defense as the Gin Kings will try to slow down the Beermen’s offensive juggernaut anew.
Ginebra did that successfully in Game 3 where Fajardo merely produced 12 points on 4-for-8 shooting from the field. While he had 14 rebounds, two blocks and one steal to boot, he stumbled with five turnovers as San Miguel lost, 94-99.
Coach Tim Cone admitted that the Gin Kings was just left stumped against the Beermen whom he described as "just too good."
[RELATED STORY: PBA: Tim Cone, Ginebra left searching for answers after Game 4 semis loss to San Miguel]
Cone will need his squad to sharpen up defensively and find ways to get more production outside of Brownlee, as Stephen Holt and Scottie Thompson combined for 32 points, but it was not enough to match San Miguel's balanced attack.
The Beermen bench was more involved in the game, accounting for 32 points, nine more than Ginebra's.
Meanwhile, San Miguel starters EJ Anosike and CJ Perez continued to shine.
Anosike punched in a double-double of 27 points and 11 rebounds, while CJ Perez submitted an all-around performance of 20 points, seven assists, six rebounds and two steals.
Ginebra will also need to elevate its game in the paint where it generated an inferior 44 points to San Miguel's 58.
Match tips off at 5 p.m.
[Editor's note: This article was generated by a member of the One Sports Digital team using AI and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]