PBA: San Miguel escapes Barangay Ginebra, forces Game 5 in quarterfinals - GMA Network

The San Miguel Beermen forced a deciding Game 5 in their PBA Governors’ Cup quarterfinal series after escaping Barangay Ginebra, 108-102, on Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

After trailing 55-41 at halftime, San Miguel found its rhythm in the third quarter, overturning a 17-point deficit to take control of the game.

Barangay Ginebra stretched its lead to 61-44 before George King knocked down a triple to ignite a 22-0 San Miguel run. Marcio Lassiter, Chris Ross, and CJ Perez joined the scoring spree from beyond the arc as the Beermen surged ahead, 66-61.

San Miguel continued to pull away, building an 81-70 advantage before Troy Rosario answered with a triple for the Gin Kings. However, the Beermen responded with another 6-0 run to extend their lead to 87-73.

San Miguel dominated the third period, pouring in 46 points while limiting Ginebra to just 18.

The Beermen carried their momentum into the fourth quarter, establishing their biggest lead at 94-75. However, the Gin Kings refused to go down without a fight, unleashing a 10-0 run after trailing 101-85 to cut the deficit to six with 3:47 remaining.

June Mar Fajardo halted Ginebra's rally with a basket, but Scottie Thompson answered with a jumper before Nards Pinto drilled a triple to bring the Gin Kings within three.

King then provided San Miguel with some breathing room with 1:55 left, but Thompson converted two free throws after drawing a foul from Fajardo to trim the deficit to three with 25 seconds remaining.

King and Ross subsequently sank their free throws after Thompson's foul to seal the victory and force a winner-take-all Game 5.

King led the Beermen with 35 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, one steal, and one block, while Ross contributed 20 points, nine assists, six rebounds, and five steals.

Thompson paced Barangay Ginebra with 27 points and 11 rebounds, while Jordan Murphy added 16 points and 22 boards.

San Miguel 108 – King 35, Ross 20, Perez 14, Trollano 11, Fajardo 8, Lassiter 7, Cruz 7, Ahanmisi 6, Brondial 0.Barangay Ginebra 102 – Thompson 27, Murphy 16, Rosario 15, Go 13, Cu 11, Abarrientos 7, Pinto 4, Gray 4, Holt 3, J.Aguilar 2, Torres 0, Estil 0.Quarters: 26-26, 41-55, 87-73, 108-102.