When the game tightened and the pressure peaked, RJ Abarrientos looked completely unfazed.
With TNT threatening to steal momentum late Sunday night, the young guard delivered the biggest shot of the game to lift Barangay Ginebra San Miguel to a tense 93-86 victory over TNT Tropang 5G at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Abarrientos drilled a booming three-pointer off an inbound play with 48 seconds remaining, stretching Ginebra’s lead to 91-83 and effectively sealing the win that secured the No. 2 seed entering the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals.
The victory completed a strong elimination-round finish for the Barangay, who won seven of their last eight games to end up with a 9-2 record.
“We didn’t talk at all about who we’ll play,” said Tim Cone. “We just wanted to come out and play up to our standard, and make sure we put a good game together. Everybody on the floor did their job. I’m really pleased.”
“As it turns out, we end up playing against Phoenix, and they have been good all conference long,” he added. “We know we have our work cut out for us. But right now we’re just focused on playing one game.”
Justin Brownlee once again anchored Ginebra with 18 points and 15 rebounds, while Abarrientos added 17 points to earn Player of the Game honors.
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GIN KINGS ANG NAGHARI
Playoffs-bound Brgy. Ginebra San Miguel secures the no. 2 seed in the playoffs after a solid victory over the TNT Tropang 5G in the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup!#PBA50 #PBA50LID pic.twitter.com/vqMBMWBGJ9
— One Sports (@OneSportsPHL) May 10, 2026
But beyond the numbers, it was Ginebra’s balance that stood out.
Troy Rosario, Scottie Thompson, Isaac Go, and Ralph Cu all made timely contributions, while Japeth Aguilar marked his return from a lung injury with six points and three rebounds in limited minutes.
“Ginagawa lang namin at pinaguusapan namin as a team is we just play our game, bumalik kami sa fundamentals namin,” said Abarrientos.
TNT, meanwhile, continued to struggle entering the playoffs despite another monster effort from Bol Bol, who exploded for 33 points, 10 rebounds, and five blocks.
The defending champions erased a 15-point deficit and even pulled within one point early in the fourth quarter behind Jayson Castro, but Ginebra repeatedly answered every push.
After Bol trimmed the gap to three with just over three minutes left, Abarrientos took over completely — first with a difficult looping shot over the towering import, then with the dagger triple that silenced TNT’s comeback hopes.
The loss sent TNT to its third straight defeat and dropped the Tropang 5G to the No. 8 seed, setting up a difficult quarterfinal matchup against top-seeded NLEX Road Warriors with a twice-to-win disadvantage.
Ginebra, meanwhile, heads into the playoffs carrying momentum, confidence, and a young guard increasingly comfortable taking over the biggest moments.
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