MANILA, Philippines – Barangay Ginebra picked up where it left off after a near two-week break and eked out a 112-107 comeback win over Meralco in the PBA Governors’ Cup at the Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday, March 1.

Christian Standhardinger flirted with a triple-double and Jeremiah Gray hit big shots late as the Gin Kings clinched their second straight win and fifth overall in seven games to climb to solo third place.

Standhardinger finished with 31 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists, while Gray erupted for 11 of his 12 points in the final quarter, knocking down a pair of triples in the final 2:30 minutes that allowed Ginebra to secure the win.

Back from Gilas Pilipinas duty in the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers, Justin Brownlee, Scottie Thompson, and Jamie Malonzo also delivered as the Gin Kings moved one win away from nailing a quarterfinal berth.

Still on a high after his first stint with the national team, Brownlee churned out 29 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists, taking over in the fourth quarter to aid Standhardinger in their comeback from a 10-point hole.

Brownlee, who tallied 13 fourth-quarter points, broke a 97-97 deadlock with 5 straight points for a 102-97 lead before Gray swished back-to-back treys that gave Ginebra a 108-102 advantage with under a minute left.

KJ McDaniels pulled the Bolts within 104-108, but the Gin Kings closed it out with buckets from Standhardinger and Malonzo.

Malonzo posted 16 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals, while Thompson chalked up 7 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals as they barely showed fatigue after playing two games with Gilas Pilipinas last February 24 and 27.

Nards Pinto added 12 points and 7 assists in the win.

Ginebra pulled through despite missing veteran guard LA Tenorio, whose PBA record of most consecutive games played stopped at 744 as he sat out after aggravating a sports hernia.

McDaniels produced 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 blocks in the loss as Meralco saw its two-game winning streak halted after failing to capitalize on its promising start.

The Bolts led as big as 37-27 in the first quarter before the Gin Kings chipped away at their deficit, with Standhardinger leading the charge with 21 points in the second half.

Allein Maliksi fired 23 points off the bench, while Aaron Black recorded 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists for the Bolts, who fell to 5-4 and missed out on clinching an outright playoff spot.

The Scores

Barangay Ginebra 112 – Standhardinger 31, Brownlee 29, Malonzo 16, Gray 12, Thompson 7, Pringle 5, Dillinger 0.

Meralco 107 – McDaniels 28, Maliksi 23, Newsome 15, Black 14, Hodge 10, Quinto 10, Banchero 5, Almazan 2, Caram 0, Jose 0.

Quarters: 32-37, 54-61, 76-80, 112-107.

– Rappler.com