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Friday, March 29, 2024

Gin Kings square series

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Usually, in the Finals, you get the trend of how the games go halfway through the series. But after four games, things are all tied up and you still don't have the faintest idea who's better.

SMB's JuneMar Fajardo clinched a record 7th Master Sardines Best Player of the Conference Award, while Ginebra's Justin Brownlee got his first Best Import plum.

Ginebra San Miguel shoved the series into a virtual best-of-3, delivering the series' second 30-point margin win after a masterful 130-100 domination of defending champion San Miguel Beer in Game 4 of the Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner's Cup Friday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum. 

Comm's Cup and first-time PBA Best Import Justin Brownlee sizzled as advertised with 37 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists, but it was the locals who stepped up to level the series, shadowing JuneMar Fajardo's record 7th Master Sardines Best Player of the Conference award and inclusion as 90th member of the 5,000-point club in a peculiar night where only one SMB player scored above 20. 

Greg Slaughter contributed 19 points and 8 rebounds, while LA Tenorio tallied 17 and 6 assists as both were pivotal in BGSM's 17-0 run to start the game.

Ginebra also led by as much as 38 at one point in the game, 123-85 midway through the last quarter. 

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"It was definitely a tough challenge in the front line, we really have to play as a unit every game to overcome (SMB)," said Slaughter.

The 7-footer limited Fajardo, who had earlier won his maiden Comm's Cup BPC, to a mere 15 points, the Cebuano's second-lowest output in the series. 

Arwind Santos was the lone man to score 20 points or more with 22, import Renaldo Balkman, who got involved in some chippy scenes at halftime, was only good for 15 points. 

"We really have to come out aggressive, this is a do-or-die game for us. We can't afford to be down 3-1 against a powerhouse team," said Ginebra point guard Tenorio. 

"There's no secret in beating San Miguel, you just have to outwork them. Hindi pa tapos 'yung laban, mahaba pa. We have to do this twice more," he added.

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