Ralph Cu took the spotlight with a night to remember coming an assist short of a triple-double to power Barangay Ginebra San Miguel to a 95-88 survival over NorthPort in the Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup Sunday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Cu nailed a huge triple to break the game’s last deadlock that sparked the finishing 10-3 kick for the Gin Kings’ second straight win for a 5-3 win-loss record.
The second round pick in the latest draft had 24 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists for Ginebra, which had an injury scare in the waning seconds of the game after Jamie Malonzo slipped and hurt his left leg.
Tied at 85, Cu drilled a three-pointer with 2:56 left before Malonzo slammed the ball home with two hands followed by a Christian Standhardinger and-one play off a Cu assist. Although Standhardinger failed to complete his three-point play, Ginebra still created a seven-point separation, 92-85, with 1:45 left.
Will Navarro stopped the Batang Pier’s bleeding with a trey but a split by Scottie Thompson followed by a Standhardinger basket from another Cu dish put the game away wuth 30 ticks left.
Standhardinger scored 25 points and pulled down 17 rebounds, Malonzo finished with 14 while Maverick Ahanmisi added 13 for the Gin Kings.
NorthPort suffered its second loss in a row as it dropped to a 4-3 card tied with TNT.
Arvin Tolentino had 19 points and nine boards, Navarro and Joshua Munzon got 12 markers each while Allyn Bulanadi put in 11 points for the Batang Pier, who lost JM Calma early in the game after hurting his left knee.
Box scores:
GINEBRA (95) — Standhardinger 25, Cu 24, Malonzo 14, Ahanmisi 13, Thompson 10, J.Aguilar 4, David 3, Pringle 2, Tenorio 0, Pinto 0, Onwubere 0
NORTHPORT (88) –– Tolentino 19, Munzon 12, Navarro 12, Bulanadi 11, Yu 8, Amores 7, Zamar 6, Calma 4, Lucero 4, Cuntapay 3, Flores 2, Rosales 0, Paraiso 0
Quarters: 30-21, 43-53, 73-70, 95-88
