Eastern's Hayden Blankley puts up a shot against Barangay Ginebra in the PBA Season 49 Commissioners' Cup, December 15, 2024 at the Ynares Center in Antipolo. PBA Images
MANILA -- Eastern nearly squandered a double-digit lead but did enough in crunch time to hold on for a 93-90 win against Barangay Ginebra, Sunday evening at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
Two clutch free throws by Hayden Blankley allowed the guest team to escape with the slim win -- their third in a row. They also handed the Gin Kings their first loss in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner's Cup, after the perennial crowd favorites won their first two assignments.
Eastern led by as many as 13 points and were still in control, 88-80, with under three minutes to go off a Glen Yang jumper.
But a 6-1 blast by the Gin Kings made it a one-possession game, 89-86, with still 64 seconds left.
Blankley came to the rescue for Eastern, scoring a much-needed layup for a 91-86 count. Ginebra responded with four straight free thows, making it a one-point game, 91-90, with four seconds on the clock.
Unfortunately for the Gin Kings, Blankley coolly knocked down two foul shots, and a Scottie Thompson heave at the buzzer was well off the mark.
Blankley led the now 5-1 Eastern with 25 points, while Christopher McLaughlin had a massive 20-point, 21-rebound game on top of six assists and two blocks.
Japeth Aguilar led Ginebra with 26 points on an efficient 9-of-13 clip, but he limped back to the bench before the final buzzer. Justin Brownlee was held in check, making only six of his 23 field goals for 18 points along with 12 rebounds.
The Scores :
EASTERN 93 – Blankley 25, McLaughlin 20, Cao 14, Yang 11, Lam 8, Chan 6, Guinchard 5, Leung 3, Xu 1, Cheung 0, Zhu 0
GINEBRA 90 – J.Aguilar 26, Brownlee 18, Holt 14, Abarrientos 12, Rosario 12, Thompson 8, Ahanmisi 0, Cu 0, Adamos 0
QUARTERS : 26-25, 54-44, 73-67, 93-90