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Tag: Barangay Ginebra San Miguel

  • “I still came up short”: June Mar Fajardo reflects after San Miguel fall to Barangay Ginebra

    “I still came up short”: June Mar Fajardo reflects after San Miguel fall to Barangay Ginebra

    Barangay Ginebra San Miguel drew first blood in the Philippine Cup semifinals, edging longtime rivals San Miguel Beermen 99–90 in Game 1 on Sunday, January 4, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

     

    The Gin Kings will be grateful for the opening victory, as San Miguel’s record nine-time PBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) June Mar Fajardo delivered a heroic performance. The 36-year-old finished with 23 points, 21 rebounds, and three blocks in 40 minutes, though his efforts were largely unsupported by his teammates.

     

    Barangay Ginebra head coach Tim Cone acknowledged his team’s fortune in escaping with the win, while also praising Fajardo for his dominance on the court.

     

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    Despite the accolades, Fajardo admitted he was dissatisfied with his overall performance.

    “I still came up short, because we lost. We need to bounce back, we need to regroup,” he said after the game.

     

    One area where Fajardo struggled was at the free-throw line, missing seven of his 12 attempts. Part of the difficulty could be attributed to the defensive pressure applied by Ginebra’s big men, Japeth Aguilar and Norbert Torres. Torres, in particular, committed five fouls on Fajardo in an effort to curb his influence.

     

    “We obviously played a tag team on Fajardo with Japeth Aguilar and Norbert. They did the best they could. It’s physically daunting to guard a guy that big and strong. Both Aguilar and Torres were exhausted just guarding a single guy,” Cone said.

     

    “He is just that kind of player. Wow. He played the whole fourth quarter too, the whole 12 minutes of the fourth quarter. So amazing, man,” he added.

     

    Despite Fajardo’s heroics, Barangay Ginebra’s balanced approach and resilience carried the day, giving them a crucial 1–0 lead in the best-of-seven semifinal series. Fajardo will hope to continue his strong form and get more support from his teammates when the two squads meet again in Game 2 on Wednesday, January 7, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

     

     

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  • “Super sore talaga”: Norbert Torres reflects on guarding June Mar Fajardo in Game 1 of PBA semifinals

    “Super sore talaga”: Norbert Torres reflects on guarding June Mar Fajardo in Game 1 of PBA semifinals

    Barangay Ginebra San Miguel struck first in the Philippine Cup semifinals, edging long-time rivals San Miguel Beermen, 99–90, in Game 1 on Sunday, January 4, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

     

    The Gin Kings welcomed the opening win, especially after surviving a dominant showing from San Miguel’s record eight-time PBA Most Valuable Player June Mar Fajardo. The 36-year-old center delivered a heroic all-around performance, finishing with 23 points, 21 rebounds, and three blocks in 40 minutes, but received limited support from his teammates.

     

    Tasked with helping contain Fajardo was Ginebra center Norbert Torres, who not only battled defensively but also chipped in on offense. Torres scored eight points, knocking down 2-of-7 attempts from beyond the arc, helping stretch San Miguel’s defense.

     

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    Torres admitted the physical toll of guarding Fajardo, even if only in limited stretches, noting that he resorted to fouling at times just to slow down the Beermen star.

    “Super sore talaga actually. Kasi kahit 20 minutes against June Mar, playing 20 minutes, it feels like 40 minutes. So very sore ‘yung katawan ko. Just try to get less touches for June Mar as much as possible. But that’s a hard task saying that. More of just early contact, laging contact sa kanya, and then trying as much as possible not to give him the offensive rebound,” Torres said in a media interaction.

     

    By stepping out to the perimeter, Torres was able to pull Fajardo away from the paint, opening up driving lanes for Ginebra’s guards and wings.

     

    “That’s part of the game plan as well, just to stretch him out para he is not always in the paint. Good thing, it went in the fourth quarter,” he added.

     

    Despite the Game 1 victory, Torres expects a tougher challenge ahead, anticipating adjustments from the Beermen in Game 2.

     

    “For sure, it’s just going to get harder. June Mar’s going to come out stronger, they are going to look for him more. The other guys are also going to step up as well. They are probably going to make their shots. So we have to adjust to that,” Torres concluded.

     

    Game 2 of the best-of-seven semifinal series is scheduled for Wednesday, January 7, once again at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

     

     

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  • Tim Cone hails June Mar Fajardo, admits Barangay Ginebra were fortunate in semifinal victory

    Tim Cone hails June Mar Fajardo, admits Barangay Ginebra were fortunate in semifinal victory

    Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) powerhouse Barangay Ginebra San Miguel drew first blood in the Philippine Cup semifinals, overcoming long-time rivals San Miguel Beermen 99-90 in Game 1 on Sunday, January 4, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

     

    The Gin Kings will be grateful for the win, as San Miguel’s record eight-time PBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) June Mar Fajardo put in a heroic performance. The 36-year-old finished with 23 points, 21 rebounds, and three blocks in 40 minutes of play, but his efforts were largely unsupported by his teammates on the night.

     

    Barangay Ginebra head coach Tim Cone acknowledged his team’s fortune in escaping with the victory while praising Fajardo for his dominance on the court.

     

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    “We are just happy we were able to pull off this one despite June Mar having a big game. Credit to June Mar, that’s how good he is, that’s how good he has been,” Cone said in the post-match press conference.

    Cone’s game plan involved pairing two of his big men—Japeth Aguilar and Norbert Torres—to contain Fajardo, a strategy that proved physically taxing for both players.

     

    “We obviously played a tag team on him with Japeth and Norbert. They did the best that they could. It’s physically daunting to guard a guy that big and that strong. Both our guys are exhausted just guarding the single guy.

     

    “He is just that kind of player. Wow. He played the fourth quarter too, the whole 12 minutes of the fourth quarter,” Cone added.

     

    Despite Fajardo’s heroics, Barangay Ginebra’s balanced approach and resilience carried them to victory, giving them a crucial 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven semifinal series. Cone will be hoping that his team can maintain this form and build on their advantage when the two squads meet again in Game 2 on Wednesday, January 7, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

     

     

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  • Ginebra outlasts San Miguel, TNT rallies past Meralco to seize early edge in Philippine Cup semifinals

    Ginebra outlasts San Miguel, TNT rallies past Meralco to seize early edge in Philippine Cup semifinals

    Depth and decisiveness defined the opening night of the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup semifinals, as Barangay Ginebra and TNT Tropang 5G seized early control of their respective best-of-seven series at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.

     

    Ginebra drew its edge from unlikely sources, leaning heavily on its second unit to blunt San Miguel Beer’s firepower and snap the Beermen’s 10-game winning streak with a 99-90 victory.

     

    What began as a tight, physical contest tilted sharply in the fourth quarter, when Ralph Cu and Norbert Torres flipped the script. The frontcourt duo buried four straight triples to turn a slim deficit into an 84-81 advantage, swinging momentum firmly toward the crowd favorites.

     

    From there, RJ Abarrientos and the regular rotation closed the door, with Ginebra’s bench answering the call of coach Tim Cone in emphatic fashion.

     

    Abarrientos led all Gin Kings with 23 points, four rebounds, and seven assists, while Cu and Torres combined for 21 points, accounting for half of the team’s 12 three-pointers.Along with Jayson David’s 10 markers, Ginebra’s reserves piled up 54 points—production that ultimately neutralized a monster night from June Mar Fajardo.

     

    The nine-time MVP delivered a dominant 27-point, 23-rebound performance, complete with three assists, a steal, and a block, but it wasn’t enough to keep San Miguel from falling behind 0-1. 

     

    Scottie Thompson added 22 points for Ginebra, with Troy Rosario, Japeth Aguilar, and Stephen Holt chipping in timely contributions. For the Beermen, CJ Perez and Marcio Lassiter scored 18 and 12, respectively, as the defending champions struggled from deep, hitting just 5-of-25 from long range.

     

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    Earlier in the evening, TNT authored a comeback of its own, riding Calvin Oftana’s late-game brilliance to escape Meralco, 100-95, and draw first blood in their semifinal duel. 

     

    Down by as many as 21, the Tropang 5G refused to fold, steadily chipping away until the game reached a tense deadlock late in the fourth.

     

    Oftana delivered the turning point—a three-point play with 2:57 remaining that broke a 91-all tie and shifted control to TNT for good. 

     

    Moments later, he found Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser cutting to the basket to stretch the lead, before calmly sealing the win at the free-throw line. 

     

    Oftana finished with 28 points on efficient shooting, along with seven rebounds and two assists, anchoring TNT’s rally.

     

    Rey Nambatac and Roger Pogoy provided secondary scoring with 17 and 16 points, respectively, while Ganuelas-Rosser posted a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds. 

     

    Meralco stayed within striking distance behind Chris Banchero’s 16 points and CJ Cansino’s 14, but the Bolts’ final push fizzled when a contested three in the closing seconds missed its mark—an ending reminiscent of their earlier-season collapse against the same opponent.

     

    With both series now underway, the semifinals head into Game 2 on Wednesday at the Big Dome, where Ginebra and TNT will look to press their advantage, while San Miguel and Meralco aim to reset the narrative in what is shaping up to be a fiercely contested march toward the Finals.

     

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  • ‘I didn’t get the job done’ – Juan Gomez de Liano laments Converge’s quarterfinals exit to Ginebra

    ‘I didn’t get the job done’ – Juan Gomez de Liano laments Converge’s quarterfinals exit to Ginebra

    Converge FiberXers rookie Juan Gomez de Liano candidly acknowledged his frustration after the team’s heartbreaking defeat to Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup quarterfinals.

     

    Converge entered the do‑or‑die clash at the Smart Araneta Coliseum holding a twice‑to‑beat advantage but saw that edge slip away after an unpredictable series. 

     

    Despite controlling much of the final game, the seasoned Ginebra side forced overtime and ultimately prevailed on Stephen Holt’s buzzer‑beating triple.

     

    Gomez de Liano, the No. 2 overall pick in the rookie draft, was one of Converge’s most consistent performers throughout the conference.

     

    In the decisive game, he scored 25 points and hauled in five rebounds, asserting himself as a central figure on both ends of the floor. But despite his strong showing, the young guard admitted he wished he could have done more in the clutch.

     

    “Of course, bitin. I didn’t get the job done,” Gomez de Liano said. 

     

    “My main goal was to help the team go past the next round. I feel like ever since Converge joined the PBA, they had a difficult time going past the quarterfinals. Now, we had the best chance especially we had the twice-to-beat. So pretty much sobrang bitin for me,” he said.

     

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    Converge appeared in control late in overtime when Gomez de Liano nailed a critical four‑point play with just over a minute remaining, pushing his team ahead. However, Ginebra clawed back behind timely shots from Troy Rosario and, ultimately, Holt’s deep triple that stunned the crowd and ended Converge’s season.

     

    The loss was especially difficult for Gomez de Liano, given Converge’s franchise history. 

     

    Since joining the league in 2022, the team has repeatedly fallen short in the quarterfinals, and this season’s twice‑to‑beat slip was a bitter twist for fans and players alike. 

     

    Despite the disappointing finish, the overall performance of Gomez de Liano and the youthful Converge squad has drawn praise from analysts, who view his emergence as a cornerstone for the franchise’s long‑term aspirations.

     

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  • PBA Philippine Cup semis set as sister teams collide 

    PBA Philippine Cup semis set as sister teams collide 

    The PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup semifinals are officially locked in, and the stage is set for a compelling mix of sister-team showdowns and classic rivalries following a dramatic close to the quarterfinal round at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

     

    Meralco stamped its return to the semifinals for the first time since its 2024 title run after toppling Rain or Shine, 98–89, despite carrying a lower seed and facing a twice-to-beat disadvantage. 

    The Bolts leaned on poise and late-game execution to overcome years of playoff frustration, snapping a streak of three straight quarterfinal exits. 

     

    Chris Newsome spearheaded the breakthrough with 31 points, delivering timely baskets each time the Elasto Painters threatened. His layup halted a late Rain or Shine surge that trimmed the gap to four, before a dagger jumper with 1:13 remaining sealed the upset.

     

    “Rain or Shine, high character team. Last three conferences making the semifinals. They are doing great things there. You know that they are going to keep on coming. Just proud of the guys for the way they gutted it out,” said Meralco coach Luigi Trillo.

     

    Chris Banchero added 21 points, while CJ Cansino chipped in 15 points and eight rebounds before fouling out. On the other side, Adrian Nocum nearly willed Rain or Shine back from an 11-point deficit, pouring in 29 points, while Gian Mamuyac finished with 20. 

     

    The loss also marked the end of Rain or Shine’s run of four straight semifinal appearances and served as the final PBA game for franchise icon Gabe Norwood.

     

    Awaiting Meralco in the next round is its sister team TNT, setting up an all-MVP Group semifinal that guarantees one of the league’s corporate rivals a spot in the finals.

     

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    On the other side of the bracket, Barangay Ginebra arranged yet another heavyweight duel with San Miguel Beer after surviving one of the most dramatic games of the conference. 

     

    Stephen Holt buried a buzzer-beating three in overtime to lift the Gin Kings past Converge, 99–98, completing a furious comeback from a six-point deficit in the final minutes of extra time. Holt’s shot sparked pandemonium at the Big Dome, remarkable for a player who had struggled all night and was just 1-of-7 before the final play.

     

    Ginebra’s escape was set up earlier when Jeremiah Gray sank three pressure-packed free throws with 3.4 seconds left in regulation, extending the contest after Converge committed a costly foul on a three-point attempt.

     

     RJ Abarrientos led the Gin Kings with 20 points, while Scottie Thompson had 13 points and eight assists before fouling out. Jayson David scored 13 before exiting with a dislocated shoulder, as Ginebra closed the game without both Thompson and Japeth Aguilar.

     

    The win booked a familiar semifinal showdown against defending champion San Miguel Beer, reviving memories of last season’s seven-game classic where LA Tenorio authored a Game 6 buzzer-beater. 

     

    With Ginebra riding momentum and San Miguel carrying championship pedigree, another chapter in one of the PBA’s most storied rivalries is set to unfold starting January 4.

     

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  • PBA veteran Vic Manuel says title only a matter of time for up-and-coming Converge

    PBA veteran Vic Manuel says title only a matter of time for up-and-coming Converge

    Veteran forward Vic Manuel is bullish on the future of the Converge FiberXers despite the team’s heartbreaking exit from the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup quarterfinals at the hands of Barangay Ginebra San Miguel.

     

    Converge saw its bid for a first-ever semifinal appearance slip away dramatically with Stephen Holt’s buzzer-beating triple lifting Ginebra to a 99–98 overtime victory that ended the FiberXers’ season. 

    The loss came after Converge squandered a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinal round, including a lopsided 105–85 defeat in Game 1 of the matchup.

     

    Despite the crushing finish, Manuel believes the combination of youth and size on Converge’s roster will pay dividends in future campaigns. 

     

    Manuel, who returned to PBA action late in the season on a short-term deal with Converge, said he was impressed by how the team’s twin towers, Justin Arana and Justine Baltazar, along with rookie Juan Gomez de Liano, have emerged as foundational pieces. 

     

    “May future ‘yung team,” Manuel said. “Sobrang talented nila, ang lalaki. Nanlilit ako sa team na ito lalo na sa mga big guys. Ang lalaki lahat, halos 6-6 pataas. Ako lang yung pinakamaliit na big man dito.”

     

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    He noted that their size and skill blend give the FiberXers distinct advantages, especially in physical matchups against more experienced teams.

     

    The timing of his signing was strategic, coming just before the playoffs, but his contract ends with the conference, and Converge has yet to announce whether he will return.

     

    For now, Converge will regroup in the offseason, armed with a roster that Manuel believes has the talent and physical tools to eventually compete for championships, potentially sooner rather than later. 

     

    “Tingin ko naman kaya. “Bago naman ako dumating dito lumalaban na ito e,” he said.

     

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  • Tim Cone: Ginebra ready to run It back against San Miguel

    Tim Cone: Ginebra ready to run It back against San Miguel

    For Barangay Ginebra, the road to the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals has been anything but smooth—and that may be exactly why the Gin Kings feel dangerous heading into another collision with San Miguel. 

     

    After clawing their way out of the brink with a dramatic 99–98 overtime escape against Converge, Ginebra now finds itself staring at a familiar foe, one that ended its All-Filipino campaign a season ago.

     

    The semifinal pairing, set to begin January 4 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, revives one of the league’s most intense modern rivalries. Last season’s seven-game war still lingers in memory, highlighted by LA Tenorio’s iconic Game 6 dagger before San Miguel ultimately closed the door in the decider. 

     

    That history has not been lost on Ginebra head coach Tim Cone, who sees the rematch as both a challenge and an opportunity.

     

    “We know them, they know us,” said Cone.

     

    “We took them to seven games the last time, so we’ll see if we can flip the script this time around. That’s what we’ll try to do this time, flip the script.”

     

    Momentum, however, is no longer exclusive to the Gin Kings. San Miguel enters the semifinals riding a 10-game winning streak, a remarkable turnaround after opening the conference with back-to-back losses.

     

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    That surge included an 83–81 win over Ginebra during their lone elimination-round meeting in Dubai, as well as a composed 101–94 quarterfinal victory over NLEX powered by a dominant 20-point, 20-rebound showing from June Mar Fajardo.

     

    “The Beermen are on a 10-game winning streak after starting the conference with a 0-2 record,” added Cone.

     

    Ginebra, though, has quietly built its own rhythm. The overtime triumph against Converge capped a seven-game winning run, featuring two do-or-die victories against the twice-to-beat FiberXers—wins that reinforced the team’s resilience under pressure. For Cone, the Gin Kings’ path to the semifinals has only sharpened their edge.

     

    “We know it’s going to be tough,” according to Cone.

     

    “We don’t play until after the New Year. So we have to think about it, focus on it, and put a game plan all together.”

     

    “The fact that we came from dead to the semifinals, we’re ecstatic about that.”

     

    As the calendar turns and the stakes rise, Ginebra’s latest showdown with San Miguel feels less like a sequel and more like a test of evolution—two powerhouse teams, both peaking at the right time, with history waiting to be rewritten.

     

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