Scottie Thompson cautions Barangay Ginebra despite 2–1 lead over San Miguel in PBA semifinals

Barangay Ginebra San Miguel reclaimed the series lead in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup semifinals after defeating long-time rivals San Miguel Beermen, 100–90, in Game 3 on Sunday, June 29, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Barangay Ginebra now holds a 2–1 edge in the best-of-seven semifinal series. Despite this advantage, star guard Scottie Thompson warned his teammates not to let their guard down, stressing that nothing is guaranteed—especially against a team as experienced as the Beermen.

“This is big for us, but it’s not guaranteeing anything because we know San Miguel is a veteran team. They know what to do after coming off a loss, so we have to be ready for Game 4,” Thompson said in a media interaction.

WATCH: Aster, Scottie Thompson’s son, crashes his dad’s post-game interview after Ginebra’s win over the Beermen in Game 3. | @MeloFuertesINQ

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Guard RJ Abarrientos broke free from the struggles that had plagued him in the first two games and exploded in Game 3, scoring 24 points along with nine rebounds and eight assists to lead Ginebra. Notably, 22 of his points came in the second half—including 18 in the fourth quarter—to help put the game out of San Miguel’s reach.

Thompson, meanwhile, maintained his consistent form, contributing 16 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two steals, and a block. The 31-year-old emphasized the importance of capitalizing on every opportunity on the court—including limiting the impact of seven-time PBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) June Mar Fajardo, who is currently playing through a right calf strain.

“We don’t want to see a hurt player, but for us, if we can get the advantage of facing an unhealthy June Mar, we’ll take it. Even when he’s not at 100%, he is still very tough. I have a lot of respect for him,” Thompson added.

Despite his injury and limited mobility, Fajardo still made his presence felt, playing 27 minutes and posting a double-double with 12 points and 14 rebounds—a significant improvement from Game 2, where he was limited to just two points and seven boards.

Thompson and Ginebra will look to move one step closer to the Philippine Cup Finals when they face San Miguel again in Game 4 on Wednesday, July 2, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

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