San Miguel edges Ginebra in Dubai thriller; NLEX, Rain or Shine also triumph in Antipolo

In a dramatic night that spanned two continents, the San Miguel Beermen narrowly escaped with an 83-81 victory over Barangay Ginebra in the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup on Sunday at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, while NLEX and Rain or Shine pulled off thrilling wins back home in Antipolo.

The Beermen nearly let a double-digit lead slip away in front of a packed Dubai crowd, as Ginebra mounted a furious rally in the closing moments. 

The Kings had a golden opportunity to snatch the win after stealing the inbound pass, but Scottie Thompson’s last-second three-pointer hit the back iron — allowing Coach Leo Austria’s squad to breathe a sigh of relief.

With the win, San Miguel notched back-to-back victories for the first time in the conference, improving to 2-2, while Ginebra slid to 1-3, marking its roughest start in the All-Filipino tournament since 2018.

June Mar Fajardo led the Beermen’s balanced attack with 17 points and 16 rebounds, including a crucial wide-open layup that stretched their lead to seven, 82-75, with just over 20 seconds remaining.

CJ Perez, JM Calma, and Juami Tiongson each chipped in 10 points for San Miguel, which earlier built a commanding 40-26 advantage before Ginebra countered with a blistering 11-0 run to grab a 48-45 lead late in the second half. 

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San Miguel wins one in Dubai!

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Veteran Paolo Rosales provided stability down the stretch, knocking down a key triple and a free throw to preserve the lead.

For the Gin Kings, Japeth Aguilar turned in a monster performance with 20 points, 12 rebounds, and two blocks, while RJ Abarrientos added 17 markers and Thompson nearly posted a triple-double with 15 points, nine boards, and seven assists.

According to PBA statistics head Fidel Mangonon, this is the first time Ginebra has opened a Philippine Cup campaign at 1-3 since the 2015–16 season.

Back home: Asistio, Bolick power clutch wins in Antipolo

In Antipolo, Anton Asistio starred in one of the biggest comebacks of the conference, drilling four clutch free throws to lift Rain or Shine past Titan Ultra, 112-111, at the Ynares Center.

Down by as many as 19 points, the Elasto Painters clawed back into the game and found themselves within striking distance in the final seconds. Titan Ultra’s Joshua Munzon and Kobe Monje each split from the line, leaving the door open — which Asistio promptly kicked wide open with ice-cold free throws to complete the comeback.

Meanwhile, NLEX joined a logjam at the top of the standings after outlasting Meralco, 89-85, in the same venue.

JB Bahio sparked a crucial fourth-quarter surge for the Road Warriors, while Robert Bolick calmly sank two pressure-packed free throws in the dying seconds to secure the win. Bong Quinto had one last chance to send the game to overtime with a long four-pointer, but his attempt missed at the buzzer.

With the victory, NLEX improved to 3-1, sharing the league lead with TNT, Converge, Magnolia, and Rain or Shine.

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