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| RJ Abarrientos caught fire right on Christmas night. PBA Images |
QUEZON CITY—RJ Abarrientos blasted off on Christmas night as he led Ginebra to a 105-85 win that flushed out Converge's twice-to-beat advantage in the PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
After letting his guard down and conceded a career game from fellow former KBL Asian import Juan Gomez De Liano, Abarrientos brought the house down with a career-high 35 points, going 12-of-18 from the field, including 6-of-8 on three-pointers.
With ample help from Abarrientos' fellow guards, Gomez De Liano was held to nine points in the process, even as the Gin Kings pulled off a second half heist to steal the win from the FiberXers following a close first half.
Abarrientos added three rebounds, four assists, and two steals off the bench as Ginebra forced another game against Converge on Sunday night back at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Japeth Aguilar contributed 16 points, six rebounds, two assists, and four blocks, while Scottie Thompson put up a triple-double of 13 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists with two steals and one block.
Balti Baltazar had 19 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, one block, and two steals for the FiberXers, who are facing elimination again after missing semifinal qualification on their first try.
The Scores:
GINEBRA 105 – Abarrientos 35, J. Aguilar 16, Thompson 13, Holt 11, Rosario 10, Cu 8, David 6, Torres 2, Gray 2, Estil 0, R. Aguilar 0
CONVERGE 85 – Baltazar 19, Winston 14, Garcia 10, Gomez de Liano 9, Manuel 7, Arana 6, Concepcion 5, Muyang 3, Racal 0, Caralipio 0, Eguilos 0, Delos Santos 0
QUARTERS: 23-21, 41-42, 70-64, 105-85
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