Ginebra vs Meralco | Game 1 | PBA FINALS – Jan 07,2020 | Court side Highlights

BARANGAY Ginebra made the big plays in the endgame to escape with a gripping 91-87 win over Meralco on Tuesday night at the start of the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum. Justin Brownlee capped a 38-point performance with the game-clinching free throws after Japeth Aguilar made the biggest play of Game One, meeting import Allen Durham at the goal to block his shot at a game-tying basket. “I honestly feel this is the way it’s going to be every game,” said Ginebra coach Tim Cone after a thrilling start to the third finals meeting between the two teams in four years. “It’s going to be a grind out fight to the end.” Ginebra now takes a 1-0 lead in a best-of-seven series that shifts to the Quezon Convention Center for Game Two on Friday in Lucena City. The match was a see-saw contest with both teams holding double-digit leads at one point before a crowd of over 10,000 fans at the Big Dome. Brownlee also grabbed 16 rebounds to complete a double-double while Aguilar contributed 16 points, six rebounds, and three blocks. Aguilar also came up big on offense early in the fourth quarter, sparking a 12-2 start that allowed Ginebra to grab an 80-73 lead. Durham tallied 25 points, 18 rebounds, and 10 assists, but his triple-double - as well as big games by Chris Newsome and Raymond Almazan - all went down the drain. Newsome scored 17 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter for the Bolts, who went on 12-4 run to grab an 85-84 lead. Almazan added 20 points and 13 rebounds. His three-pointer in the third quarter gave Meralco a 10-point lead, 61-51. Game One also saw the struggles of Baser Amer, Bong Quinto, and Allein Maliksi, who combined for a 3-of-20 clip from the field. LA Tenorio added 14 points for Ginebra while Pringle added 10 points in the first finals game of his PBA career. The scores: Barangay Ginebra 91 – Brownlee 38, J. Aguilar 16, Tenorio 14, Pringle 10, Slaughter 8, Thompson 2, Chan 1, Mariano 0. Meralco 87 – Durham 25, Newsome 24, Almazan 20, Amer 9, Caram 4, Quinto 3, Maliksi 2, Faundo 0, Hodge 0, Pinto 0. _______________________________________________________________ Salamat sa panunuod mga TSONG and Tsang! wag kalimutang mag subscirbe para updated kayo sa mga latest sports news. * Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. * Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. * No copyright infringement intended. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS #PBAupdates #PBAFINALS #GINEBRA #MERALCO