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Talk about a Christmas treat for basketball fans. The Barangay Ginebra Kings gave their fans the ultimate holiday gift—a heart-stopping, come-from-behind victory over the Magnolia Hotshots in the Manila Clasico showdown at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Down by as much as 22 points in the third quarter, the Gin Kings unleashed their signature "never-say-die" spirit and delivered a 95-92 nail-biter win. And guess who played Santa this year? None other than Scottie Thompson, who hit a jaw-dropping buzzer-beating triple to break a 92-all deadlock and seal the deal for Ginebra.

It wasn’t just Thompson’s heroics that stole the show. Justin Brownlee was on fire, sinking five out of six triples en route to a team-high 28 points, along with seven rebounds and five assists. RJ Abarrientos was equally clutch, knocking down five treys of his own to finish with 20 points, five assists, three steals, and a block. Add Troy Rosario’s solid 15 points and Japeth Aguilar’s triumphant return from injury, and it was a team effort through and through.

The game seemed like it would slip away early on, with Magnolia taking control after a quick 6-2 Ginebra lead. Ricardo Ratliffe, Mark Barroca, Paul Lee, and Ian Sangalang kept the Hotshots ahead for most of the game. But Ginebra’s relentless chase, capped by back-to-back treys from Abarrientos and Maverick Ahanmisi, kept them in the fight.

The Kings finally took the lead at 86-84 with just over four minutes to go, setting the stage for a tense finale. Brownlee delivered back-to-back daggers, and with the game tied at 92, Thompson stepped up and drained the game-winner, sending the Ginebra faithful into a frenzy.

With this win, the Gin Kings improved to 4-2 and climbed to solo fifth in the standings, while the Hotshots dropped to 2-5. It was a Christmas Clasico to remember, showcasing why Ginebra’s never-say-die mantra continues to be one of the best stories in Philippine basketball.