Thompson leads Ginebra past Phoenix in playoff push
Ginebra improved to 4-5 with a 106-89 victory, while Phoenix had already secured a quarterfinal berth.
Barangay Ginebra boosted its playoff hopes in the PBA Governors’ Cup with a 106-89 win over Phoenix on October 18 at Antipolo’s Ynares Center. Scottie Thompson topped Ginebra’s scoring with 29 points against the already-qualified quarterfinalists.
The result left the Gin Kings at 4-5 heading into their final group-stage fixture, against Blackwater. Phoenix dropped to 5-4, with Rain or Shine still to come on its schedule.
Ginebra reached half-time 65-45 ahead and extended its advantage to 86-60 by the end of the third quarter. Phoenix could not overturn that deficit in the closing period.
Thompson also collected 10 rebounds, blocked two shots, made three steals and supplied six assists. Jordan Murphy’s contribution included 13 rebounds and 28 points, plus a block and two assists.
Japeth Aguilar paired 10 rebounds with 12 points, matching Jeremiah Gray’s scoring total. For Phoenix, Marcellus Earlington registered 22 points, with nine rebounds, a steal and two assists. Kai Ballungay and Ricci Rivero each scored 10.
