Barangay Ginebra San Miguel

How Many Former Ginebra Players are Still Active in the PBA?

While browsing through social media we found a post about the number of active basketball players who played for Ginebra that are still actively playing for other teams.
There are not a lot of teams in the PBA, so players would really have limited options and in one way or another, players and teams crisscross and played for each other. What’s surprising though is the number of players who have stayed around.
There are 24 former BARANGAY GINEBRA SAN MIGUEL who is  still active and playing in other teams this 2017 PBA Governors Cup.
1.   Rafi Reavis (STAR) – 2006-09
2.   Chico Lanete (PHO) – 2009
3.   Cyrus Baguio (NLEX) – 2009-10
4.   Doug Kramer (PHO) – 2009-10
5.   Yancy de Ocampo (SMB) – 2010-11
6.   Ronald Tubid (SMB) – 2007-12
7.   Enrico Villanueva (NLEX) – 2009-12
8.   JC Intal (PHO) – 2009-12
9.   Mike Cortez (GBP) – 2010-12
10. John Wilson (PHO) – 2010-12
11. Niño Canaleta (BLA) – 2011-12
12. Reil Cervantes (BLA) – 2011-12
13. Willy Wilson (PHO) – 2008-13
14. Bryan Faundo (MER) – 2013
15. Rico Maierhofer (GBP) – 2011-13
16. Allein Maliksi (STAR) – 2011-13
17. Dylan Ababou (PHO) – 2012-15
18. Mac Baracael (GBP) – 2013-15
19. Rodney Brondial (STAR) – 2014-15
20. Billy Mamaril (GBP) – 2006-10/2010-15
21. Emman Monfort (NLEX) – 2013-15
22. JR Reyes (SMB) – 2013-15
23. Joseph Yeo (MER) – 2014-15
24. Nico Salva (KIA) – 2015-16
Source: SR18

Did we miss anyone?

Is Greg Slaughter 100% ready to play for Ginebra in the semis?

After another successful campaign during the elimination round, the Barangay Ginebra  San Miguel has dominated the front seat as they managed to get only two defeats in their eleven games during the current PBA conference.
After ousting Globalport in a quarterfinal match which also got heated up by Romeo and Tenorio’s clash of body and words, now Ginebra San Miguel is up for a great challenge as they faced and got defeated by the outstanding line up of Coach Nash Racela’s TNT katropa.
Backed up by their huge reinforcement Joshua Smith who stands 6’9″ with a wide built of 330 pounds that banged up the Ginebra’s interior defense, TNT katropa has dominated the game which caused the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel squad their first loss in the best of five semi final round.
Justin Brownlee, Ginebra’s all around import who put his body up for a challenge against the TNT import has proven that he can still deliver the goods for his franchise but fell short and obviously can’t do it all for the crowd favorite. Japeth Aguilar, who is one of the most athletic big men in the league also had a hard time defending the paint as the TNT import invaded the whole interior of Ginebra. One of the questions everyone has is, Is Greg Slaughter the answer to this Ginebra’s campaign?
Greg Slaughter who suffered from an injury and undergone a surgery has been out of the playing court for a while as ordered by the team’s physician and doctor to somehow recupirate and heal from the said surgery. The 7 footer big man has been activated days before the semi finals tip off and was expected by the fans to be a big help in this series.
Slaughter’s presence in the paint is a big help for Ginebra, it will divert and bother shots and penetrations from this TNT import while the other Ginebra big men gang up for the rebound. Is Slaughter the missing link? I’d say yes. The presence of a bigman for ginebra will somehow free up Japeth and Justin brownlee in the court while Slaughter lures the TNT defense, it will also limit the TNT import from dominating the paint who was relentless in their last outing. Slaughter is reported to be 80% ready to suit up for Ginebra and just being observed by the coaching staff if he can finally bear extended minutes on the court as Coach Tim Cone doesn’t want to risk the health of his big man. The question now is, will slaughter suit up for game 2? Let’s find out!

Led by Brownlee, Barangay Ginebra Breaks Away For the Win

May 26, 2017 – Tight ball game between Ginebra and Blackwater Elite as both teams put on a show in front of the hefty crowd inside the Alonte Stadium in Binan Laguna.
The first three-quarters were competitive as Blackwater tried to get a win to save their last games and end their conference campaign in a more decent note. The Elite led by import Smith who scored 37 points held on within striking distance with Ginebra until the last quarter when Ginebra found the groove and never looked back.
Tenorio and Aguilar combined with 32 points but it was Justin Brownlee who carried the Gins tonight with 35 points. on a 52 % field goal shooting.
Barangay can secure a twice to beat advantage if they win against Meralco in their next game.

4 Key Stats Comparison

– FG in favor of Ginebra 40% against 35%
– Assist in favor of Ginebra with 25 against 19 of Blackwater
– Rebound for Ginebra 67 against 47 of Blackwater
– Points in the Paint  for Ginebra with 46 against 38 of Blackwater Elite

The Scores:

Ginebra (96) – Brownlee 35, Tenorio 17, Aguilar 15, Mercado 9, Caguioa 8, Mariano 5, Marcelo 3, Taha 2, Cruz 2, Ferrer 0, Thompson 0, Ellis 0.

 Blackwater (82) – Smith 37, Digregorio 18, Pinto 7, Pascual 5, Buenafe 4, Sena 4, Cruz 2, Gamalinda 2, Aguilar 2, Cervantes 1, Perez 0, Canaleta 0, Banal 0, Sumang 0.

 Quarterscores: 22-23, 43-43, 65-62, 96-82.

Cone Wants Japeth And Joe To Get Their Offense Going.

Photo by PBA Media Bureau

Barangay Ginebra San Miguel is off to a great start after falling behind in their first game of the conference against the Phoenix Fuel Masters in an out of town game. The country’s most loved ball club who had a very impressive performance in their last conferences, clinching a title in the Governors’ cup in the previous season and made another finals appearance in the season opener conference against the tough contender San Miguel Beermen.
Cone and the rest of the squad is on a mission again this conference to try and bring the glory to their country-wide-known franchise as they prove that they can beat elite teams such as Star Hotshots who they previously gave a beating in a Manila Clasico showdown in MOA arena in front of an expectedly huge crowd.
The most winningest coach was left impressed with how their import was able to battle head to head with tall imports. Barangay Ginebra brought back their Governors’ Cup hero Justin Brownlee as their reinforcement into this conference which allows each team to bring in an import with the maximum height limit of 6’10”. The Ginebra management chose familiarity over size to try and clinch another title. But the most successful coach still wants Japeth Aguilar and Joe Devance to find their tempo and get their offense going given that they are the ones banging their bodies inside the lane with the role to fill the shoes left by Greg Slaughter.
As the Ginebra squad tries to figure out a way to get everybody involved, it is probably one of the best start in their franchise history that will eventually lead them to another Finals appearance without the help of the tallest player in the PBA, Slaughter who is expected to suit up next conference in another import-laiden conference.

A Brownlee Night Gives Ginebra Another Manila Clasico Win (Powcast Video Highlights)

Barangay Ginebra San Miguel once again took that game away from Star as they come back from a huge deficit. Scottie Thompson, one of the key players who made their come back possible had an impressive night, dishing key passes that made all of his teammates involved in their successful offensive execution.

“He did a spectacular job” Cone stressed in the post game interview.

Justin Brownlee, the man who made that key shot in Ginebra’s championship campaign last season proves his worth in the crowd darling’s line up after making another epic performance against the undefeated Star Hotshots.

The Ginebra hero in last Season’s governors’ cup contributed an impressive 30 point performance with 15 boards output that left the most winningest coach impressed.

“Justin causes alot of problem to alot of people, you know he can play in and out, make great passes he’s a great defender, and we kinda see him play how we envisioned him playing” Cone said on how they were able to beat star though they’re parading a small reinforcement in the conference.

Ginebra gives the Star Hotshots their first loss in the conference, in another successful come from behind win bringing them up a notch in the standings with 2 wins and a loss.

The scores:

GINEBRA 113 – Brownlee 33, Tenorio 21, Mercado 15, Aguilar 12, Thompson 8, Ferrer 8, Devance 7, Caguioa 6, Ellis 4, Marcelo 2.

STAR 98 – Mitchell 22, Maliksi 17, Lee 11, Jalalon 10, Barroca 9, Ramos 7, Brondial 7, Mendoza 6, Simon 5, Reavis 4, Sangalang 0.

Quarterscores: 26-24, 51-53, 82-75, 113-98

SMB Overwhelms Ginebra’s Philippine Cup Debut After a Blow Out Win in Game One

Photo by PBA Media Bureau

San Miguel Beermen is just a hard team to beat with it’s deadly offensive arsenal, this team has been one of the toughest team to crack. Leo Austria and the powerhouse beermen spoils Ginebra’s momentum from the semis as they pile up points in game 1 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals. J
Junmar Fajardo, the 3 time MVP who has been the focal point of the defending AFC champions still proves that he’s the best player in the league making it hard for Ginebra to execute their offense inside the paint also by dominating the boards. 
The lethal outside shooting of SMB’s back court players, Lassiter, Cabagnot and Tubid have been dominant in the game against the crowd darling after sinking multiple three pointers that took the game away from Ginebra. 
Tim Cone admitted in their pre-championship conference that SMB is a tough team to beat, now Cone and the rest of his coaching staff needs to figure out a way to make stops and hopes to bring the game closer in game 2 as they try to tie the series and gain their confidence back in this finals campaign.

Ginebra vs SMB: A Sister Fight That We’d Love to See, Players Comments

PBA Finals Presscon

The Philippines is a close family ties country. We are very much family oriented. We even live with our parents even as we become older. It’s every parents desire to have a peaceful and loving home and seeing a sibling fight is the last thing they want to see happen in the family.
Ginebra and SMB are sisters in the PBA for a long time. This upcoming 2017 All Filipino – Philippine Cup Finals however, we will see a start of a sister rivalry.
It’s been a while since we last saw these two teams in the finals and having both of them compete against each other would be thrilling. I guess this is the only fight a parent would be happy to see. And regardless, it’s a win-win situation for their Mother Company.
But what do the players think about the 2017 Philippine Cup Finals series?
Here are some excerpts from the recent PBA Finals presscon:

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Ginebra Players:
Japeth Aguilar – I am just excited to be here.
JayJay Helterbrand – It will be a tough series, let’s get it on!
Sol Mercado – It will be a huge task but we are up for the challenge!
Mark Caguioa – We are ready for them!
LA Tenorio – Our job is not yet done, we need to defeat the giant that is SMB!
Scottie Thompson – I just want to thank God.
Tim Cone – We know it will.

SMB Players:

Chris Ross – Happy to be back in the finals. We are one task short of our goal. We are ready to get the trophy!

Arwind Santos –  Even though we are sister company we will still go at it each other.
Marcio Lassiter –  We work really hard to be in this position and we will not stop.
Alex Cabagnot – Thank God and hopefully no injuryand may the best team win!
Ronald Tubid –  Tim Cone is a good coach, we need to adjust and be patient.
Game 1 of the PBA finals is today, February 24 at 7 pm, Mall of Asia Arena.
PBA Fans will flock to the venue for sure but before that, 

Let us know which team you are supporting and your comments on the upcoming finals series?

Caguioa and Maliksi’s Social Media Comment Exchange

Photo by Aldrin Alejo
The PBA Finals stage is set after Barangay Ginebra San Miguel booked the last Philippine Cup Championship slot. Barangay Ginebra defeated the Star Hotshots in game 7 of the All Filipino Cup in front of a huge crowd and in front PBA Legend Coach Sonny Jaworski. 

 Allein Maliksi a former Barangay Ginebra player who got traded by the Barako Bull to Barangay Ginebra in a three team trade with B-Meg Llamados on November 2011 has always looked up to his former team mates especially Mark Caguioa, the heart of the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel who guided Maliksi through is campaign with the most popular ballclub. 

 Through the conflicts that the fans had during their series, these folks have maintained the respect and sportsmanship after a well fought semi finals series that Ginebra eventually won to have the rights to get the title against the San Miguel Beermen. 

 In an Instagram post of Allein Maliksi courtesy of Sports5, Mark Caguioa has shown respect and has stated his encouraging words to his former team mate by putting up a good fight and praising Maliksi of what a player he has become. These players fight like warriors inside the court but at the end of the day, they all have the same respect for each other and that friendship remains on and off the court.




www.instagram.com/p/BQzNglUhf3A
Photo from Allein Maliksi’s Official Instagram Account

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Photo from Allein Maliksi Official Instagram Account




Tim Cone still Scared to Play San Miguel But Promised to Figure out How to Limit Junmar

Photo by PBA Media Bureau

The short manned Ginebra Roster will be needing more than guts and heart to be able to stop the San Miguel Beermen in this Finals series as they face the star studded Beermen lineup with Junmar Fajardo as the focal point.
Tim Cone has figured out to outplay several tough teams in the PBA through their intensive defensive style. Ginebra defeated San Miguel in the semis last conference where Ginebra was hailed champions after defeating Meralco Bolts in game 6 of the Governors’ Cup Finals. It was an import laid conference and this current series? It’s gonna be a different story. With Greg Slaughter out of the picture and Joe Devance currently hurt, Ginebra would have to rely on Tim Cone’s “Next Man Up” challenge.
“I think my team can match up everybody, it does hurt that we can’t have Greg Slaughter for Junmar, and then Joe Devance should be here, he was invited to come but we wanna keep him off the street cause he’s got an injured feet he’s on a rehab right now ” Tim Cone’s answer when asked on how they can stop Fajardo.
“I believe in our guys, we will try to find ways to compete with this team, we’re still in shock that we’re 5 wins to 1 against san miguel but that’s the plan would be. “
“I have not watched San miguel play in about three weeks, I dont like to watch other series while we’re focusing on this one, we focus on what we have.”
Coming off a tight series, Cone has yet to review the tapes to prepare for the Finals showdown but he assured that he will get in to it after the Press Conference held at Sambokojin in Eastwood City Libis.
“I don’t really even have a plan yet to stop Junmar, I’m not even sure if there is a plan to stop Junmar and I don’t even think coach Jackson could figure out how to stop Junmar”.

Tim Cone:"The MVP of The Series, If We Could Choose One, It Would’ve Been Jervy Cruz"

Photo by PBA Media Bureau

Tim Cone is just left overwhelmed by the Ginebra crowd after going through a tough series against his former team Star Hotshots (Purefoods Franchise). This series has been a game of adjustments for both squads from a coaching stand point and who ever gets to execute these adjustments and gets the momentum gets that W.
“Coach Chito has made a really great adjustment playing Ramos, it just really spreads us out and Ramos had a big game.” Cone talks about how the Star Coach did an excellent job in scouting them and making the key adjustments which made them do in game plans to alter the other side’s momentum.
“It was an amazing series, I feel bad for Ping cause he played tremedously the whole way through.” Cone said.
Sol Mercado who always serves as the energizer of the Ginebra squad has been recognized by Coach Tim Cone but what stood out is the person who have made a great impact to their games in the absence of Joe Devance.
“I thought that the MVP of the series, if we could choose one, it would’ve been Jervy Cruz, he’s the guy who stepped up for us in Joe’s Absence, he was the key guy.” -Tim Cone

Ginebra Goes Back To The Finals After a Dominating Game Seven Against Star



Photo by PBA Media Bureau
To get to the finals again, it has not been easy for the league’s most popular ball club to book that ticket. After being through 5 do-or-die match ups in their campaign this conference, the Never Say Die attitude has been put to a test as they all succeeded in overcoming all these challenges. 
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel finally gets the chance to have a back to back finals appearance beating Star Hotshots in a dominant performance on Tuesday at the Mall of Asia Arena in front of a mammoth crowd listed at approximately 20,000 gate attendance and in front of the PBA basketball legend and former Playing Coach of the Ginebra Franchise, Sonny Jaworski. 
The whole squad dominated the first quarter ending it with 10 point lead led by their gunners Joe Devance, Japeth Aguilar, Sol Mercado and LA Tenorio. 
Sol Mercado who recorded a new season high 23 points and 5 assists led the Ginebra Squad with his hot beyond the arc conversions coupled with inside the basket penetration that leaves the Star Defense weightless. 
Marc Pingris, who played his heart out during the last part of the match was not able to sustain his energy although Allein Maliksi who also had an awesome performace also could not make it all for the Hotshots after scoring more than 20 points from his three point attempts. 
Star, was able to play catch up and even inched the lead to within three points but Ginebra has managed to find a way out of this collision after pulling away and gets 13 point lead at the end of regulation. 
The scores: 
GINEBRA 89 – Mercado 23, Tenorio 21, Aguilar 19, Thompson 10, Devance 7, Cruz 6, Ferrer 2, Marcelo 1, Caguioa 0, Ellis 0. 
STAR 76 – Maliksi 22, Pingris 17, Ramos 14, Barroca 8, Reavis 5, Lee 4, Jalalon 4, Melton 2, Simon 0, Sangalang 0, Dela Rosa 0. 
Quarterscores: 26-16, 45-36, 65-61, 89-76.

Is Ginebra’s Fourth Quarter Benching in Game Five a Strategic Approach of Tim Cone?

Photo by PBA Media Bureau
After being trailing with as much as 17 points in game 5 against the Star Hotshots, Ginebra players are hopeful that the move that coach Tim Cone did in the final quarter will pay off on their game 6 mission. Creating a huge surprise for the PBA viewers, Ginebra primary point guard LA Tenorio is confident that preserving them for the next game will definitely help them to gain enough thirst for a win in game 6 win or go home showdown.
It has been a tried and tested strategy of Tim Cone to spare his starters from a game that he knows is already slipping off their hands. This has been proven by some of the Star Hotshots’ players like Marc Pingris who played under Coach Tim Cone for a while and he is a living proof that this strategy has helped them gain enough energy going to the next game especially after having only one day off every game.
Tim Cone utilized his bench role players during the 4th quarter with Sol Mercado only played 20 seconds in the final quarter while Japeth Aguilar, LA Tenorio and Jervy Cruz are on the bench watching their bench players do the job for them who also did an awesome job in cutting the lead down to 7 in the dying minutes of the payoff period from being down with as much as 17 points.
Seeing the frustration on Tim Cone’s face, he had his assistant coach to call the plays for Ginebra in the fourth quarter while he let’s his players figure out what to do as he sat on the bench giving a dagger look to the table officials making them realize how frustrated he was with the calls but knowing the most winningest coach in the PBA, this is just his way of sending a message to his people that they need to come out there and play their best like there is no tomorrow.
Ginebra will try to live another day and force a do or die match up against the Star Hotshots on Sunday in Araneta Coliseum.

Star Hotshots: A Win Away From Finals Appearance After a Two Game Losing Streak

Photo by PBA Media Bureau
The Star Hotshots bounces back from their two game losing streak after defeating the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in game 5. March Pingris who said that Star Shotshos will be back strong after their two defeats lived up to his promise despite getting limited minutes due to foul trouble. Stepping up in the absence of the “Pinoy Sakuragi” is their main center Rafi Reavis who took over the rebounding and scoring department along side Allein Maliksi who was the missing link in their two losses. 
Barangay Ginebra rallied during the second half of the ball game after being down with as much as 16 points in the payoff period but the Star Hotshots’ defense is just good enough to limit the scorers of the league’s most popular ball club. 
Caguioa and the rest of Ginebra’s bench role players continued to play catch up during the last 2 minutes of the game chopping the Hotshots’ lead to 7 points from 16. This rally has woken up the Ginebra Faithfuls as the fast and the furious showcased their never say die run once again but couldn’t sustain the intensity with limited time on the clock. After benching his starters, Tim Cone has made a decision to carry on with his bench players to finish the game who did a great job in cutting the lead during the dying seconds of the 4th quarter. 
Rafi Reavis who was hailed as the best player of the game recorded a double-double performance with 17 points and 13 boards. 
The scores: STAR 89 – Reavis 17, Barroca 12, Lee 10, Maliksi 10, Simon 8, Brondial 8, Melton 7, Pingris 6, Sangalang 5, Jalalon 2, Ramos 2, Dela Rosa 2. 
GINEBRA 80 – Aguilar 13, Mercado 9, Ellis 9, Caguioa 9, Helterbrand 6, Cruz 6, Taha 5, Thompson 5, Tenorio 5, Ferrer 4, Mariano 4, Marcelo 3, Devance 2. 
Quarterscores: 21-22, 49-45, 71-55, 89-80

PBA Fans Continues Social Media Debate About Maliksi’s "Cooking" Gesture

Photo by Aldrin Alejo
Social media is now going crazy about Ginebra and Star hotshots’ game 4 showdown. Two teams who currently have the most number of fan base in the country’s biggest league are in a series to get that Championship spot in the All Filipino conference, their fans are all over the internet debating about officiating and Allein Maliksi’s “cooking” gesture.
PBA fans call out Maliksi’s gesture to be an action against the league’s policy and might put a stain on the league’s integrity due to irresposible reaction to a call.
PBA is one of the oldest and the most trusted league in Asia and it has maintained a very good reputation when it comes to officiating games. Now people wants the PBA management to put a fine on this player’s gesture and even compared it to Don Allado’s incident in 2012 when Don Allado tweeted a response to a game saying that the games in the PBA are fixed.

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“#PBA games are fixed. They control who is in & who is out. It’s a disgrace to be in this league. I am bitter about losing. Not to Powerade, but to #PBA. In my opinion, this league has little credibility left.” Says Allado on his twitter account and was fined by the league.
Fans does not believe the alibi of Allein Maliksi that it’s just a hand sign for a defensive play or approach. But on a report, Commissioner Chito Narvasa already told the media that he’ll be issuing fines to the Star individuals who are involved  in the said issue.
What we’re sure about is that this series will be a tight one for each team as they compete for a finals berth.

Star Hotshots Admits Excellent Ginebra Defense Took the Game Away from Them

Photo by PBA Media Bureau

After a display of their own version of defensive approach, the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel had a great control of the game limiting the game to a low scoring match against the Star Hotshots. Known to be the master of the Triangle Offense, Tim Cone is also an expert of making adjustments before and during the game depending on what should be done and shouldn’t be done.
The Star Hotshots admits that the excellent defense execution of Ginebra is the reason why they were below their average point production and had them go over their average turn overs. They average 13 turnovers per game but during their game on Wednesday, it increased to a number that they’re also surprised about and ended up realizing that it was the tight defense of Ginebra that caused them to turn the ball over.
Players like Marc Pingris, Paul Lee and Maliksi admitted that Ginebra’s defense has given them a hard time executing what they draw on the boards during their practice and had the rattled in getting people In their right places.
As expected, Ginebra coach Tim Cone said that the major adjustments have developed during their viewing and has taught them that if they were beaten by Star two times in a row, they can definitely do it to them as well. As the Star Hotshots continue their quest in finally getting another finals appearance they will have to figure out a way and an antidote to this Ginebra stops and provide necessary adjustments in game.

Jervy Cruz Lifts Ginebra Passed the Star Hotshots to Tie the Series at 2-2

Photo by PBA Media Bureau

Another good day for Barangay Ginebra San Miguel faithfuls as their favorite team tackled their way into tying the series with 2 wins a piece after being down by 0-2.
Star Hotshots who struggled in game 3 which caused them the game due to the excellent Ginebra defense finds their way back in the losing column after being outscored by the Barangay Ginebra squad led by Jervy Cruz.
Cruz scored a total of 21 points, recorded as his season high coming off the bench to fill the spot of Joe Devance who saw limited minutes but provided quality looks and also contributed 4 points despite the current injury he’s nursing. This loss of the Hotshots can also be attributed to foul trouble as they had 4 players nursing 4 to 5 fouls including Mark Barroca who fouled out with only 4 points on the board.
Defense was the key to the Ginebra’s campaign in the conference and in this series holding off the Star hotshots from getting open looks also limiting them to get attempts inside the paint with their double team and help defense.
Barangay Ginebra will be seeing action again this coming Friday at the Mall of Asia Arena to try and get their third straight win to lead the series at 3-1 while Star Hotshots will be back on the drawing boards to prepare for this rematch and increase their chances of shaking the Ginebra defense off to get the same goal as Ginebra.
The scores:
GINEBRA 93 – Cruz 21, Aguilar 18, Ellis 10, Ferrer 9, Mercado 9, Tenorio 8, Marcelo 5, Caguioa 5, Thompson 4, Devance 4.
STAR 86 – Maliksi 18, Jalalon 16, Reavis 13, Lee 9, Pingris 9, Melton 7, Barroca 4, Ramos 4, Sangalang 4, Dela Rosa 2, Simon 0.
Quarterscores: 21-23, 48-41, 65-62, 93-86.

Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Rides Sol Mercado’s Heroics to Get Their First Win in The Series

Photo by PBA Media Bureau


After being down by 0 to 2 in the series against the Star Hotshots in the first two games of the best of seven semis, The Barangay Ginebra San Miguel finally got their first W after a successful fourth quarter run.

Ginebra dominated most of the quarters, but again found themselves trailing after a huge run by the Hotshots. Paul Lee, the hero of the first two games had a hard time sinking his shots but eventually converted his three pointers during the final stretch.

Sol Mercado, the key player of this game sank three point attempts during the crucial moments of the final quarter along side Japeth Aguilar who surprisingly made a shot from beyond the arc that took the game away from their long time rival Star Hotshots.

With less than two minutes left in the pay off period, Ginebra led with as much as 13 points. Coach Chito Victolero has decided to call the game off by sending his starters back to the bench obviously surrendering from this huge deficit to preserve and prepare his players for game 4 on Wednesday at the Araneta Coliseum.

Barangay Ginebra stayed alive in the series after a possible 3-0 series lead by Star Hotshots. People are not surprised that Ginebra could comeback in the series as they’ve been to a lot of the same scenarios and eventually emerged victorious.

The scores: 

GINEBRA 73 – Mercado 16, Aguilar 15, Caguioa 8, Tenorio 7, Thompson 7, Ferrer 6, Devance 6, Cruz 3, Marcelo 3, Ellis 2, Mariano 0, Helterbrand 0, Mariano 0. 

STAR 62 – Pingris 12, Melton 8, Jalalon 7, Lee 7, Barroca 6, Sangalang 6, Simon 5, Maliksi 4, Reavis 3, Abundo 2, Dela Rosa 2, Brondial 0, Ramos 0. 

Quarterscores: 21-10, 33-29, 50-51, 73-62.

Fatigue Factor Started to Kick in for Ginebra After Losing Against Star in Game Two.

Photo by PBA Media Bureau
Another frustrating night unfolded for Tim Cone and the whole Ginebra nation as the crowd favorite gets another loss against their long time rival Star Hotshots.
Ginebra continues their struggle in containing Star Hotshots’ offensive approach as Japeth Aguilar and LA Tenorio still find it hard to convert shots and could be considered as the missing pieces in this Ginebra campaign.
Paul Lee, the hero of game 1 continued his mission in taking over the offensive attack for the Hotshots as he knocks down key shots during the pay off period inclusing a fastbreak point that gave them a 4 point lead during the dying seconds of the last quarter.
Fatigue is one of the most noticable factors that keeps Ginebra from executing their defense. The squad who dominates the rebounding department throughout the conference are now struggling to get boards because of the Hotshots’ excellent gang rebounding style.
With Joe Devance out in the rotation, Cone has no choice but to extend the playing time of his big men that consumes most of the players stamina.
Star Hotshots is in the lead with 2 wins away from getting their finals appearance after a while. Game 3 will be on monday at MOA Arena as Ginebra tries to come back from this series deficit.

The scores:

STAR 91 – Lee 17, Maliksi 14, Melton 11, Pingris 10, Jalalon 9, Reavis 9, Barroca 8, Sangalang 6, Ramos 5, Dela Rosa 2, Simon 0, Brondial 0.

GINEBRA 89 – Ferrer 25, Thompson 17, Aguilar 16, Tenorio 8, Mariano 7, Mercado 6, Cruz 2, Caguioa 2, Ellis 2, Taha 2, Helterbrand 2, Marcelo 0, Jamito 0.

Quarterscores: 27-23, 50-45, 72-69, 91-89.

Paul Lee and the Rest of the Star Hotshots Bags First Win Against Ginebra

Photo By PBA Media Bureau

Star Hotshots who had a hard time to overcome Ginebra’s defense draws first blood against one of the toughest team to beat Barangay Ginebra San Miguel.
On a Thursday night in Araneta Coliseum, another Manila Clasico has concluded in front of a huge crowd. Ginebra led by as much as 11 points during the first half but suddenly lost control during the 3rd quarter after a lot of turnovers that resulted to converted points by the Star Hotshots who successfully executed their plays.
Both teams have had different lead changes and deadlocks during the game but Paul Lee and the rest of the Star squad found their rhythm during the pay off period. Paul Lee clinched a key shot to give them a safe cushion to take the game away from the crowd favorite.
With 4 points apart, Ginebra tried to take a quick three pointer during the last 30 seconds but missed it. It was an off night for both Aguilar and Tenorio who could’ve changed the game but promised to get back stronger on their next match on Saturday in Mall of Asia Arena.


The scores:

STAR 78 – Lee 18, Barroca 17, Pingris 9, Sangalang 8, Maliksi 7, Jalalon 6, Reavis 5, Melton 5, Dela Rosa 2, Ramos 1, Brondial 0.


GINEBRA 74 – Aguilar 11, Ellis 12, Cruz 10, Mercado 10, Tenorio 8, Thompson 7, Ferrer 7, MArcelo 5, Mariano 4.


Quarterscores: 14-19, 37-38, 60-58, 78-74.



Alaska’s Advantage Went Down the Drain as Ginebra Gets Last Semi-Final Berth

Photo by PBA Media Bureau
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel ousted the Alaska Aces after two straight games against the number two seed Alaska Aces.

Alaska’s edge went to waste after being behind during the second half. Ginebra’s big men stepped up to fill the shoes of the missing link Joe Devance, Aljon Mariano, Kevin Ferrer, and Scottie Thompson among the young guns provided a boost to the Ginebra rally after being down during the first half.

LA Tenorio, contributed 31 points to anchor the win for Ginebra along side Aljon Mariano who scored a career-high of 20 points with 7 boards.

Ginebra will be facing the Star Hotshots for a Manila Clasico best of seven semi finals on Thursday to try and clinch a back to back finals appearance. Apparently three SMC teams are now officially in the Semi Final round.

The scores: GINEBRA 108 – Tenorio 31, Mariano 20, Ferrer 15, Thompson 10, Mercado 9, Ellis 9, Marcelo 7, Cruz 5, Aguilar 2, Helterbrand 0, Caguioa 0. ALASKA 97 – Abueva 29, Manuel 23, Casio 10, Racal 8, Pascual 6, Galliguez 6, Exciminiano 5, Thoss 4, Cruz 3, Dela Cruz 3, Hontiveros 0, Jazul 0, Magat 0, Mendoza 0. Quarterscores: 21-25, 51-53, 82-71, 108-97

Fans Scream for Manila Clasico Best of Seven Semi-Final Match Up

Photo by PBA Media Bureau
As another semi-finals stage unfolds, another possible Manila Clasico showdown is one of the anticipated match-ups to look out for as Star books their ticket to the 2017 Philippine Cup semi-finals.
Ginebra who just recently won their first outing against Alaska in the Quarter Finals, where they must win twice to advance to the next round will try to knock Alaska twice in a row. In the same bracket, Star Hotshots is waiting for these two teams’ winner at the Araneta Coliseum on Tuesday at 7pm.
Alaska Aces dominated the first couple of quarters against the League’s crowd favorite but Ginebra rallied back and overcame a 17 point lead after Sol Mercado and LA Tenorio’s huge third quarte run.
Fans wants the Star Hotshots and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel to clash once again in the best of seven series semi final round. A Manila Clasico semi – finals that has not happened for a long time.
We will be witnessing an action packed game at 7pm as the Aces claims the rights for the final semi-finals berth against Barangay Ginebra San Miguel.

Barangay Ginebra overcomes huge deficit. Books do-or-die game with Alaska

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Barangay Ginebra displayed their never day die angst once again. As they bounced back from a huge deficit against the Alaska Aces.

The crowd favorite trailed with as much as 17 points in the third quarter then finding themselves in the passenger seat after a 25-4 run in the same quarter.

Sol Mercado who scored a couple of three pointers sparked the engine up for the Barangay that ignited their mammoth crowd leading them to executing different key stops.

Ginebra led with as much as 9 points in the final period but Alaska fought their way back in a mission to swat that lead back but fell shortly after Mercado and Ferrer’s connection that gave Ginebra a 4 point lead.

A couple of three point exchanges happened before this sequence. Mercado had a chance to extend the lead to 7 but failed to make both free throws. Tenorio also split his charities giving them 4 point advantage. Ginebra ending up winning the face-off that makes it another day of sunlight for the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel as they play against Alaska on Tuesday at 7pm in the Araneta Coliseum for a win or go home battle for the semi finals berth.

SURPRISING FACTS: Things You May not Know About Barangay Ginebra Franchise

Photo Credits to forum.philboxing.com
This topic will benefit the millenials, or if you don’t know things about the Ginebra history, then this article will make you understand more about your favorite team. Known for being the most popular ball club in the country, Ginebra has a lot of accomplishments behind them which why you are probably asking yourself “Why?”.
Why are they so popular?
Before we answer that question, let’s go through some facts that you may not know about Ginebra first.
Gary Granada, a known Philippine OPM icon who’s been a Ginebra fan wrote a popular song which you guys might have sang on their last Championship. But, that is not the only song he wrote, he composed and recorded 4 songs for this franchise to show his love for his favorite ball club. 1st song would be “Ginebrang Ginebra” then, “Kapag Nananalo ang Ginebra”, “Kapag Natatalo ang Ginebra” and the song that popularized after the squad after the 2007 Philippine Cup Championship, “Yan ang aming barangay.”
Did you know that Ginebra is the first of only one of 2 teams to ever come back from a 1-3 deficit in a best of seven showdown which they did first way back 1991 season opening conference against Shell and the other one was their battle against Alaska during the semi finals series in the 2005-2006 Philippine Cup.
Ginebra will be battling Alaska for a semi-final berth and it won’t be an easy path to take as they have a twice-to-beat disadvantage, but are you guys confident they’ll pull it off? I believe YES. Way back 2008 in an import spiced conference the Barangay Ginebra started the conference with maybe the worst win-loss record at that period but still went to the championship and eventually won the title.
So why are they so popular again?
Why were they called a Never Say Die team?
Here’s the answer, they have been around the PBA for quite some time now and considerably one of the oldest franchise in the PBA history, and through all of it, they’ve done a lot of miracles, well should I say they’ve turned tables multiple times, making an unfavorable game and standing eventually turns their way. Senator Robert Jaworski, the former Barangay Ginebra Playing Coach who is also and still the face of Ginebra and you might agree that he’s considered as the Michael Jordan of the Philippines of his own time. Well, he started it all, let’s go back in time during their game against the Northern Consolidated Cement. Jaworski was taken out of the court after he took an elbow that needs to be treated.
Minutes later, the living legend made a surprise come back with a taped lip and eventually made a miracle again after leading the team to a victory that day.
Never Say Die attitude compliments the Filipino culture and attitude that’s maybe why people loves them so much. They make sure that they win for the fans, they dive and die for the ball and never gives up until the final buzzer. They made history and maybe that’s enough, but here they are still entertaining the Filipino Basketball lovers. They sold out tickets in every Arena they played in and they show goodness to their fans. They sign autographs and have pictures taken with the fans and wanted to finish all of it as much as they could.

"It’s an advantage to have a twice-to-beat, it’s not an advantage to play Ginebra" – Compton


Photo by PBA Media Bureau
A huge comeback happened that made Alaska claim the second spot overall in this conference standing and Compton still can’t comprehend that they clinched a win against Rain or Shine after being down in the most part of the game.
Though second spot gives them a twice to beat advantage, Compton doesn’t savor the edge that  they have after getting the news that they’ll be facing Ginebra in the quarter-finals.
“It’s an advantage to have a twice-to-beat, it’s not an advantage to play Ginebra”. Says Compton in a post game interview.
Ginebra and Alaska had some history of playing in the playoffs and last conference was the recent one where
Ginebra is the one with an edge of having beaten twice to advance but now is a different situation as the Alaska Aces gets this edge in the season opening conference.
Compton calls for a practice 24 hours after they get the 2nd seed in this conference as they will have to prepare for their next assignment. Ginebra is a hard shell to crack as they’ve been into situations where they had disadvantages but still managed to get over it and even win Championships.
“We need to prepare for Ginebra, it’s playoff time we dont rest.” Compton stressed.
Ginebra will be coming off a week of rest before their face-off against Alaska and will try to win their first game in the quarterfinals to inch closer to the next level.

Is it going to be a Japeth-less Ginebra vs Phoenix on Sunday?

Photo Credits to PBA Media Bureau

This is one thing that everyone is worried about prior to the Sunday showdown of Ginebra and Phoenix, is Japeth Aguilar going to play?

After an early exit of Japeth Aguilar in the ball game during the 2nd quarter, everyone was worrying if he got a serious injury.

Japeth Aguilar got his injury after a transition slam and hyper extending his elbow when failed to hold on to the rim and had all his weight on his right arm.

After several reports, it was just a muscle strain and nothing serious. One report said that after he got hurt, he immediately did some push ups during the half time.

He immediately went to the hospital to have an X-ray and posted a photo on FB with his girlfriend saying that it’s nothing serious and he’s gonna be fine. Well from my own opinion, he will be available to play on Sunday unless he gets some after game hurts but knowing Japeth, he has this high tolerance to pain and one good day rest will definitely lessen the possibility of him being out against Phoenix.