The never-say-die spirit emanating from Barangay Ginebra crossed over into Bahrain for what is arguably one of the most exciting finals in the PBA Philippine Cup. The Kings were down to a dramatic comeback 102-100 victory over Rain or Shine, with Scottie Thompson triple-killing the knees with a trey, only seven seconds left. Thus, it was in the early morning of Thursday (PHT) at the Khalifa City Sports Stadium. 

The triumph thus marked their third win in succession, propelling the Kings into the quarterfinals and sealing the eight-team postseason cast. Even before the Titan Ultra had fought against the Kings for a playoff spot, Titan Ultra had already been benched. Ginebra happens to have a 6-4 slate and has been fighting for a Top 4 finish, which gives the team a chance to earn the prized twice-to-beat advantage in the next round. 

RJ Abarrientos stood out a lot, putting up 25 points and especially those 12 in the fourth quarter. He kind of pulled the Kings from being down 12 in the third, like from 65-77. Thompson chipped in 16 points too, with 8 coming late in the game. That go-ahead three he hit to make it 101-100 for Ginebra was huge. Then Maverick Holt added a decent 15 points, solid enough. Rain or Shine might have won the match had Adrian Nocum’s bum shot layup at the dying seconds not barred the Kings from victory.

On the rebound, Ginebra was at one end and at the opposite, sending Thompson to the line and confirming the last scoring in 102-100. With this loss, Rain or Shine effectively makes Ginebra the second seed, which will have the advantage of a double-to-win in the quarterfinals. But San Miguel is now a game-and-a-half ahead with their solo 8-3 standing. Felix Pangilinan-Lemetti led Rain or Shine with 14 points, with back-ups from Jhonard Clarito and Adrian Nocum, who each delivered 13 points. This contest at Ginebra once again showed that strength is also able to rise in big times, turning what seemed to be a sure loss into a remarkable win. For that reason, once again, it displayed that it really has the fighting spirit. 

Meanwhile, Converge made all the news at the same time when the FiberXers got hold of veteran forward Vic Manuel to strengthen their lineup before making the playoffs. 

For this 38-year-old power forward, nothing else matters, and he had immediate effects with seven points, four rebounds, and four assists after playing only seven minutes. His name was Converge’s to rally a 107-95 overtime victory against NLEX at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. With that well-timed victory, the FiberXers edged on to improve their record to 7-4 to remain in the race for that coveted twice-to-beat edge for the quarterfinalist. 

Despite the fact that he was still overcoming his form due to the 3-week absence that he had with the Pangasinan Heatwaves in the MPBL, his debut was seen as a healthy start. With the short time before the playoffs, improvement of his conditioning is expected, as it will give him additional time to adapt better into the system of Converge. 

Manuel’s addition boosts. Moreover, it adds to an already solid frontline featuring Justin Arana, Justine Baltazar, and Larry Muyang in the Converge roster. His coming is all the more important now that injured veteran Rafi Reavis is out. Being an integral part of two championships with San Miguel and several finals appearances with Alaska, this experience adds value to the aim of the team reaching its first semifinal in franchise history. 

The chance to sign Manuel came as a result of the FiberXers completing a trade where they traded Pao Javillonar to Titan Ultra in exchange for a second-round pick in the Season 51 draft. This freed up a roster spot, which Converge quickly filled with Manuel, as acquiring him will not only strengthen their rotation but also instill confidence in the younger players.