Gin Kings rebound, pummel Bossing

HONG KONG -- Barangay Ginebra bounced back in a major way, pounding the Blackwater Bossing into submission, 115-85, in their PBA Governors’ Cup clash Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. 

The Gin Kings, who had a narrow loss against the Phoenix Fuel Masters in their first game, vented their ire on the Bossing, who lost their second game in a row. 

Stephen Holt waxed hot for Ginebra with 19 points, to go with seven rebounds and five assists. Riley Grigsby backstopped with 18 markers, eight boards, five dimes, two steals and a swat for a Ginebra squad that saw eight total players finish in double digits. 

“Getting that game under our belt, I felt I was confident we'd come out and play better. I didn't think we'd play like this but I felt we'd play better coming out here against Blackwater tonight. Blackwater's been playing great, great basketball. Really surprises me that we were able to play as well but we shot the ball really well tonight,” Ginebra head coach Tim Cone said. 

“The ball moved, the people moved and when that happens usually you get some good looks and good shots and you generate good threes and sometimes even fours. So we'll take that and take the way we played tonight and hopefully keep it going,” he added. 

Ginebra scored more than 31 points in each of the first three quarters, as they pounced on the attack every chance they got, taking on a 96-63 lead heading to the fourth. 

The 3-pointers kept on going as the lead grew to as much as 40 points, 105-65, after a Holt trey with 9:49 remaining. 

The Gin Kings, then, breezed through to the finish line as the nearest the Bossing got to was 29 points. 

RJ Abarrientos finished with 14 points, while Troy Rosario, Japeth Aguilar, Ralph Cu, Nards Pinto and Kemark Carino had 11 markers apiece for Ginebra, whose record rose to 1-1. 

Kentrell Barkley powered the Bossing with 26 points and 10 rebounds, while Sedrick Barefield had 16. Dalph Panopio chipped in 15 markers for the 2-2 Bossing.