From Slump to Star: RJ Abarrientos leads Barangay Ginebra to 2–1 lead over San Miguel

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.

Guard RJ Abarrientos broke free from the shackles that had kept him quiet in the first two games and erupted for Ginebra in Game 3, firing 24 points, along with nine rebounds and eight assists, to lead his team to a 2–1 series lead. In fact, the shooting guard scored 22 of his 24 points in the second half, including 18 in the fourth quarter to put the game out of San Miguel’s reach.

He received solid support from Jamie Malonzo, who tallied 20 points and seven rebounds, and veteran Japeth Aguilar, who added 18 points. Scottie Thompson contributed 16 points, seven rebounds, and five assists, while Stephen Holt provided valuable backup for Abarrientos with 10 points and seven rebounds.

RJ Abarrientos is the ArenaPlus BPG.#PBAAngatAngLaban pic.twitter.com/YnJ3iVXUtI

— PBA (@pbaconnect) June 29, 2025

Notably, Abarrientos had struggled in the first two games of the semifinal series, averaging just 4.5 points on 19 percent shooting. However, Barangay Ginebra head coach Tim Cone was never too concerned and expressed relief that the young guard delivered under pressure.

“What really makes him special is his ability to shoot the ball. We always encourage him to shoot it. If he is open, we want him to shoot it. If he is 1-for-11, we want him to take the next tough shot right after that because we know it’s going to turn around for him,” Cone said in the post-match press conference.

“He needs to stay aggressive for us to win games like this. They’ve been defending well, but tonight, he got loose,” he added.

The victory gave Barangay Ginebra a 2–1 lead in the best-of-seven semifinals. They 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.

OKBET is Asia’s most trusted and popular online sports gaming platform. Visit us on OKBET to stay up to date with all sports news from around the world.