New recruits lift Ginebra past New Taipei Kings
Off-season acquisitions RJ Abarrientos and Stephen Holt gave a glimpse of what they could bring to the table for Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Governors’ Cup slated to begin 18 August.
The duo connived with veteran forward Japeth Aguilar in the Gin Kings’ 91-87 escape over the New Taipei Kings in a tuneup match Wednesday night in the Macao WUS International Basketball Club Challenge at the Tap Seac Multisports Pavilion.
Abarrientos, the third overall pick in the recent PBA Rookie Draft, delivered the dagger triple in the last minute of the tight ballgame, which saw Ginebra rally from a fourth quarter deficit to claim victory.
On the other hand, Holt waxed hot in the first half scoring 14 of his 19 points.
The Rookie of the Year frontrunner, who was taken by the Gin Kings from Terrafirma in a blockbuster trade a day before Draft day along with Isaac Go and a switch of draft order for Christian Standhardinger and Stanley Pringle, sealed the victory with his split from the foul line.
Aguilar led Ginebra with 23 points while Abarrientos, fresh from helping Strong Group Athletics win the 43rd Jones Cup crown, added 20 points.
Also making waves for the Gin Kings, who played sans import Justin Brownlee and injured Scottie Thompson, Jeremiah Gray and Jamie Malonzo, were Go, Ben Adamos and third-round pick Paul Garcia, who had seven points.
Holt gave Ginebra an 85-84 lead before Abarrientos pushed it to 88-84 off a trey with 2:10 left in the game.
The Taiwanese answered with a triple, but Garcia, the 34th overall pick, nailed a bucket as the Gin Kings kept their distance, 90-87, before Holt’s split from the line for the win.
Ginebra squandered a 14-point lead in the first quarter before New Taipei sparked a run and kept the game close until the final period.
The Gin Kings had a series of miscues that the Kings took advantage off for a 75-68 lead.
Fueled by a loud crowd cheering for the visiting team, Ginebra behind Aguilar, Garcia and Holt unleashed a decisive 13-5 blitz to get back on the driver’s seat, 81-80.
Gray and Malonzo traveled with the team. Brownlee is still in Indonesia playing for Pelita Jaya in the Indonesia Basketball League finals against Satria Muda.
New Taipei played without brothers Jeremy and Joseph Lin and naturalized player Quincy Davis.
