Never-say-die Ginebra hands ROS 1st On Tour loss; Blackwater survives Phoenix

MANILA, Philippines – For the second straight PBA On Tour game, Barangay Ginebra exuded its trademark “never say die” spirit as it stunned the undefeated Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, 108-107, at the Ynares Sports Arena on Sunday, June 25.

One game after they defeated Blackwater in an 81-80 overtime heist, the Gin Kings were at it again in clutch time, turning to former Lyceum standout Jayson David for back-to-back acrobatic layups that seized the lead from Rain or Shine, 108-107, in the last 2.1 seconds of regulation.

Suddenly backed against the wall after leading in the last 7:50 of the fourth quarter, the E-Painters nonetheless found one great final look off the timeout as Nick Demusis broke free for an open mid-range jumper from the right baseline, but his game-winning shot clanked off the rim as time expired.

Prior to David’s crucial 4-point surge, it was former San Miguel reserve Von Pessumal who stepped up to lead the star-less Ginebra crew, dropping a game-high 29 points on 9-of-21 shooting and 4-of-12 from three to go with 8 rebounds.

Gin Kings prospect Jeremiah Gray, meanwhile, continues to build up his confidence as a crucial piece of the team’s future, and finished with a near triple-double of 19 points, 13 boards, and 8 assists, to go with 2 steals and a block in more than 43 minutes on the floor.

Six Rain or Shine players breached double-digit scoring over at the losing side, led by Demusis’ 16-point effort on 6-of-7 shooting – his lone miss coming at the very end of the game. This was the Painters’ first loss after winning six straight in the no-bearing exhibition series.

Gian Mamuyac also scored 16, albeit needing 18 attempts to reach the mark, as fellow guards Andrei Caracut and Rey Nambatac added 13 and 12 points, respectively.

Meanwhile, the Blackwater Bossing made up for their last heartbreaking loss to Ginebra with a 92-90 bounce-back escape act against the Phoenix Fuel Masters in the first game.

Former TNT star Troy Rosario led the way for the Bossing with 24 points on 10-of-14 shooting to go with 8 rebounds. Rashawn McCarthy, Jvee Casio, and Mike Ayonayon, on the other hand, each tallied 13 points to make up a bulk of the team’s offense.

Lanky forward Sean Manganti paced the close loss with 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting in 30 minutes off the bench, while Reden Celda and Tyler Tio led the starting group with 15 points apiece.