BOCAUE, BULACAN -- Behind a strong start, the Barangay Ginebra Kings dismantled TNT KaTropa, 90-79, in the 2019 Honda PBA Philippine Cup opener on Sunday at the Philippine Arena.
The Gin Kings, who led 44-26 in the first half, sputtered in the middle quarters before regaining their bearings in the fourth period en route to the win.
With a balanced attack, the Gin Kings were able to establish a 74-64 lead on Scottie Thompson's three-point play with 8:07 remaining in the fourth period.
Ginebra refused to ease on the gas pedal from there. More than three minutes later, the team was already leading 88-71 after Kevin Ferrer's layup off a Thompson feed in transition.
Japeth Aguilar set the tone for the Gin Kings, uncorking 15 of his 21 points in the first two quarters. He also had four rebounds and three blocks.
Greg Slaughter added 15 points and seven boards, while Sol Mercado had 11 points, six rebounds, and four assists in almost 25 minutes of action. Scottie Thompson was a point shy of a triple double as he hauled down 10 boards and the same number of assists. Kevin Ferrer scored nine points.
"It's a long day. I'm glad we got the win," said Ginebra head coach Tim Cone. The new season was ushered in by the Leo Awards and an opening ceremony.
RR Pogoy paced TNT with 21 points but was 1-of-9 from beyond the 3-point line. He also had 16 rebounds and two steals.
Jayson Castro had 17 points, 10 assists, four rebounds, and two steals while Don Trollano made three triples on his way to 15 points.
Playing his first game in a TNT uniform, Brian Heruela finished with 14 points, two rebounds, and the same number of assists and steals.
THE SCORES
Ginebra 90 - Aguilar J. 21, Slaughter 15, Mercado 11, Thompson 9, Ferrer 9, Mariano 6, Devance 5, Tenorio 5, Teodoro 4, Cruz 3, Caperal 2, Aguilar R. 0.
TNT 79 - Pogoy 20, Castro 17, Trollano 15, Heruela 14, Reyes 6, Cruz 4, Williams 2, Golla 0, Semerad D. 0, Miranda 0, Carey 0.
Quarterscores: 28-15, 49-42, 63-57, 90-79.
EXTRA DRIBBLES
- TNT struggled to find its mark the whole game. The team shot a woeful 9-of-41 from the 3-point arc.
- Before the game, two Ginebra players were feted during the Leo Awards. Thompson was hailed Most Improved Player of the past season, while Japeth Aguilar was part of the Mythical First team.
- The crowd attendance for the opening day of the PBA's 44th season was 23,771.
NEXT GAMES
Ginebra - vs San Miguel on January 20 at the Araneta Coliseum
TNT - vs Phoenix on January 19 at the Ynares Center in Antipolo