SPORTS
Advocates Philippines
Ginebra Pummels NorthPort Again; Moves One Win Away From Finals
Photo credit: PBA
Barangay Ginebra is on a mission, and NorthPort is feeling every bit of it. The Gin Kings unleashed another dominant performance, crushing the Batang Pier, 127-100, in Game 3 of their PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals series on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

With the win, Ginebra now holds a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven showdown, putting them just one victory away from another trip to the Finals. Meanwhile, NorthPort—once the top seed in the eliminations—looks like a shell of the team that steamrolled through the early rounds.

Brownlee Takes Charge, Ginebra Stays Relentless

After letting his teammates do most of the scoring in Game 2, Justin Brownlee reminded everyone why he’s still the league’s most dangerous import. The Ginebra superstar exploded for 17 points in the first half, sinking all four of his three-point attempts to fuel the Kings’ early breakaway.

Jamie Malonzo was just as lethal, hitting three triples on his way to 16 first-half points. By halftime, Ginebra had built a massive 64-40 lead, and the outcome felt all but decided.

The Kings weren’t just dominant offensively—they locked down NorthPort’s Arvin Tolentino, forcing the Batang Pier to rely almost entirely on import Kadeem Jack, who finished with 32 points. Unfortunately for NorthPort, that was nowhere near enough.

No Mercy from Ginebra

By the time the third quarter ended, Ginebra had ballooned the lead to 99-68, allowing head coach Tim Cone to rest his key players early. Malonzo led the Kings with 25 points, hitting five three-pointers, while Brownlee added 22. Japeth Aguilar chipped in 17, Scottie Thompson had 15, and both Troy Rosario and RJ Abarrientos contributed 10 each.

Meanwhile, NorthPort simply had no answers. After finishing the eliminations as the No. 1 seed, the Batang Pier have been completely outmatched in this series, losing each game by over 30 points.

One Win Away

With Rain or Shine pulling off an upset win over TNT in the other semifinal matchup, Ginebra now has the chance to become the first team to book a spot in the Finals. They’ll take their first shot at closing the series in Game 4 on Wednesday at the Big Dome.

Will NorthPort find a way to fight back, or is Ginebra simply too good? At this rate, it looks like the Kings are already packing their bags for another championship run.
Mar 3, 2025
MORE SPORTS →

We are dedicated storytellers with a passion for bringing your brand to life. Our services range from news and media features to brand promotion and collaborations. 

Interested? Visit our Contact Us page for more information. To learn more about what we offer, check out our latest article on services and opportunities.

Share this article

MORE SPORTS →
Share by: