Ginebra now barges into the semifinals after an 81-73 victory over Rain or Shine in the quarterfinals round of the 2020 PBA Philippine Cup inside the Angeles University Foundation Sports Arena and Cultural Center.
Japeth Aguilar led all scorers as he put up a double-double performance of 23 points and 11 rebounds, while also injecting a tough defensive presence in the paint. Stanley Pringle only produced 10 markers, but came through with two game-changing buckets in the crucial minutes of the fourth quarter.
It was a very close battle throughout the night but the Gin Kings went on an unanswered 9-0 blitz in regulation to put away the Elasto Painters. After a James Yap basket to pull the Rain or Shine within one, Pringle answered with two straight made shots. Aljon Mariano followed it up with a running floater, and LA Tenorio drilled a dagger triple to give Ginebra an 81-71 advantage.
Mark Borboran topscored for Rain or Shine with 13 markers off the bench, while Javee Mocon and Rey Nambatac contributed 12 and 10 points, respectively. The Elasto Painters failed to put a stop on Ginebra’s inside shots, and their lapses in the fourth quarter spelled their loss.
Rain or Shine is now eliminated from the Clark bubble, while Ginebra awaits the winner of the Meralco-San Miguel series.