LA Tenorio provided leadership as the Ginebra San Miguel Gin Kings repulsed the Magnolia Timplados Hotshots, 99-84, on Wednesday night at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City to earn a return trip to the Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup Finals.
Tenorio finished with 18 points and his big game in the first period allowed the Gin Kings to take control of the rest of the game.
Ginebra took a 29-18 lead in the first 12 minutes and set the tone of the game the rest of the way to win its best-of-five semifinal series with its sister team, 3-1, and advance to the best-of-seven finals, where it will play the winner of the other semis showdown between San Miguel Beer and guest team Bay Area Dragons.
The Gin Kings are back in the finals after they last won the title in 2018.
Import and recently naturalized Filipino Justine Brownlee made 24 points and 14 rebounds, while Japeth Aguilar added 19 for the Kings, who will play Game 1 of the PBA finals on Christmas Day.
Scottie Thompson added 14 points for the Gin Kings.
So intense was the first quarter that the Gin Kings lost Christian Standhardinger in the final 6:18 of the period.
Standhardinger was sent off after throwing the ball at Magnolia import Nick Rakocevic, with the Gin Kings up, 12-8.
Brownlee shot eight in the second period to keep the Gin Kings ahead, 51-43, at halftime.
Coach Tim Cone commended Aguilar for picking up the pace following the ejection of Standhardinger.
“Japeth is incredibly hard on himself. And that’s what we battle with him all the time. To keep his spirits up, to keep him encouraged,” said Cone.
The scores
Ginebra 99—Brownlee 24, Aguilar 19, Tenorio 18, Thomspon 14, Malonzo 10, Pringle 5, Gray 3, Pinto 3, Mariano 2, Standhardinger 1, Dillinger 0, Pessumal 0, David 0, onwuberre 0
Magnolia 84—Rakocevic 13, Jalalon 12, Lee 9, Reavis 8, Barroca 7, Ahanmisi 6, Sangalang 6, Dionisio 4, Wong 3, Corpuz 2, Dela Rosa 0, Zaldiva 0, Laput 0, Mendoza 0
Quarterscores: 29-18, 53-41, 82-68, 99-84.