What other way to celebrate the return of the Fil-American forward Jamie Malonzo than to snag a win for his team at the PBA 49th Season Commissioner’s Cup? Undoubtedly, none. 

With a glorifying score of 86-63, the Gin Kings floored the Blackwater Bossing at the vast Ynares Center in Antipolo last Sunday, January 11. This improves their winning percentage to 6-3, the shared record with Eastern and Converge, while TNT’s 4-2 also put them in third place. 

This was a remarkable comeback for Malonzo after his team’s unfortunate loss to Northport, 119-116. Although his comeback was imminent, considering his recent reactivation to the lineup, many were still surprised to see the former De La Salle star on the court. 

As a refresher, Malonzo suffered a calf injury last April, which forced him to take a more than nine-month vacation from the court. 

Although his return was quite a shocker, his contribution to the game is very decent, raking eight points from nearly 11 minutes of action.

Quarter after quarter, Barangay Ginebra did not give their opponent a chance to turn the table in favor of them. 

The first quarter concluded with a six-point lead, 19-13. The following quarter finished with a slightly improved score of 39-32. However, during the third quarter, Ginebra’s defensive chops made sure that Bossing’s fighting spirit was shattered into pieces, and the set ended with a 21-point lead. In the final quarter, the fate of Ginebra winning the game prevailed with the final score of 86-63, the seventh shy for Blackwater out of eight games. 

During an interview with the press, Coach Tim Cone looked back on his team’s performance against Northport. He admitted that they weren’t able to shoot the ball well and that the winning team scored a lot when his players should not have permitted it. It was a hard pill to swallow, but they proved their resilience last Sunday after snagging a hard-earned victory.

Justin Brownlee led the scoreboard with 18 points and seven rebounds despite an injury scare in the first quarter where he reportedly suffered a bruise on his calf. 

RJ Abarrientos took the second spot with 15 points, 11 of which he earned in the first half. He provided the needed spark for the team by entering two threes in the late second quarter. 

After lifting the spirits of their die-hard fans, the Ginebra Kings will go up against the aggressive and parched TNT which just extended its winning streak after they overwhelmed Converge with a slim difference– 98-96.

Hollis-Jefferson’s gameplay was one of the most notable, especially after hitting that marginal shot with 1:07 on the clock. This caused the Tropang Giga to extreme their defensive players, making sure their opponent would not turn the table. 

In two crucial plays, TNT showed no interest in giving the victory to the Converge FiberXers rather ending their supposed winning run. One of the most talked-about plays was the impressive stop of Hollis-Jefferson to its counter-import Cheick Diallo, whose ball got swiped away with nine seconds on the clock. 

In an interview, Coach Chot Reyes expressed his gladness about his team stopping these aforementioned crucial plays. 

Hollis-Jefferson’s heroics paid off after logging an incredible 31 points and 11 rebounds, while Roger Pogoy contributed an impressive 22 points with 5-for-9 shooting from threes. Rey Nambatac earned 13 points, three rebounds, and three assists, while the holder of one of the biggest shots in the end game, Oftana, contributed 12 points to their winning score.

Despite the unfortunate defeat, it’s still worth noting that FiberXers’ big man Cheick Diallo exerted the best effort in the entire game by logging 37 points and 15 rebounds. 

Now, one question emanates from the basketball fans, “Who’s going to win between TNT and Ginebra’s highly anticipated clash on January 17?” Both teams are in the third spot in the highest winning percentage board, and both just came from a huge win. TNT certainly would not let their winning streak end, while the Kings are driven by not getting another loss, or their chances of winning the PBA 49th Season Commissioner’s Cup will be significantly harder.