PBA semifinals Game 2 TNT-Rain or Shine, Ginebra-NorthPort

• After contrasting wins in Game 2, Barangay Ginebra and TNT look too take commanding leads in their respective PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals series.

March 2, Sunday – Smart Araneta Coliseum

• 5pm- TNT Tropang Giga vs Rain or Shine Elastopainters
• 7:30pm – Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings vs NorthPort Batang Pier

NorthPort Batang Pier’s Arvin Tolentino in Game 3 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals against Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings. –PBA IMAGES

MANILA, Philippines—Northport main man Arvin Tolentino is trying to be the Batang Pier’s emotional anchor in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals series against Ginebra.

Northport took yet another hit on Sunday at Araneta Coliseum iafter succumbing to a 127-100 blowout loss n Game 3 at the hands of the Gin Kings.

The defeat sent the Batang Pier spiraling down a 0-3 hole, a hard place to get out from, but Tolentino is keeping the team’s mood afloat in hopes of recovering from three straight beatdowns.

Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings’ Jamie Malonzo during Game 3 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals. –PBA IMAGES

MANILA, Philippines—Jamie Malonzo is slowly but surely going back to his old form for Ginebra and Game 3 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals was a testament to that.

Tor the third straight game, the Gin Kings clobbered Northport to take a commanding 3-0 lead over the Batang Pier at Araneta Coliseum on Sunday with Malonzo playing his best game of the conference’s playoffs thus far.

“Jamie got confident, got his game going and felt good. That makes all the difference in the world,” said Tim Cone after their 127-100 win over Northport.

Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings’ Justin Brownlee during Game 3 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals. –PBA IMAGES

Barangay Ginebra moved on the cusp of making the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals with another blowout of NorthPort, 127-100, Sunday in Game 3 of their semifinal series at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Jamie Malonzo continued his vital contributions in the playoffs after scoring 25 points on top of eight rebounds that enabled the Gin Kings to take a commanding 3-0 lead in their best-of-seven affair.

Justin Brownlee added 22 points with eight rebounds and eight assists as Ginebra coasted to another victory over a NorthPort side that has yet to put up a fighting chance since the semis began.

PBA semifinals live updates: Ginebra vs NorthPort

• FINAL: Ginebra moves a game away from sweeping Northport in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals after taking Game 3.

• LA in action! Tenorio checks in at the 8:27 mark of the fourth at the crowd’s delight. Ginebra leads, 112-76.
• Ginebra in total control of Game with a whopping 99-66 lead over NorthPort after 3 quarters.
• Barangay Ginebra with a 64-40 halftime lead over NorthPort in Game 3 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals.
• Ginebra leads Northport, 30-21, at the end of Game 3’s first quarter. The Gin Kings are looking to take a dominant 3-0 lead over the Batang Pier.
• Another strong start for Ginebra as it leads 23-14 with over 3 minutes left in the opening quarter.

TNT teammates Poy Erram and Glenn Khobuntin coming to blows during Game 3 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals. –JONAS TERRADO/INQUIRER

MANILA, Philippines—TNT center Poy Erram and teammate Glenn Khobuntin became the center of attention for Game 3 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals for all the wrong reasons.

In the last 18 seconds of the second quarter, Erram was called for a technical foul for continuously complaining on a non-call when the Tropang Giga trailed the Elasto Painters, 49-43.

The big man was being pacified by the coaching staff when Khobuntin stepped in to help calm down his fellow TNT key cog.

Rain or Shine import Deon Thompson against TNT reinforcement Rondae Hollis Jefferson in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals. –PBA IMAGES

Rain or Shine reduced TNT’s lead in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals after coming out with a 93-88 victory in Sunday’s Game 3 at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Import Deon Thompson, rookie Caelan Tiongson and Adrian Nocum delivered when needed as the Elasto Painters cooled off a Rondae Hollis-Jefferson-led Tropang Giga fightback in the fourth quarter to finally get on the board in the best-of-seven series.

TNT still leads the semis, 2-1, but will have plenty of things to ponder after playing its first game minus Jayson Castro, who was ruled out for the season after a knee injury in Game 2.

PBA semifinals live updates: TNT vs Rain or Shine

• Rain or Shine with a 103-98 win over TNT in Game 3 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals. TNT lead in the series reduced to 2-1
• Rain or Shine’s lead over TNT cut down to two heading to the fourth quarter, 75-73.
• Rain or Shine heating up in the third, they now lead TNT, 69-59, with 5:11 to go in the third.

But the story of the first half was the heated exchange between TNT teammates Poy Erram and Glenn Khobuntin after Erram was called for a technical foul. It appeared that the two were quick to patch things up pic.twitter.com/PNGKSKz0Oa

— Jonas Terrado (@jonasterradoINQ) March 2, 2025

• Rain or Shine with a 49-43 halftime lead over TNT in Game 3 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals.
• Rain or Shine takes a 43-36 lead over TNT, which is playing without Jayson Castro, with under 2 minutes left in the first half.
• Tight end to the first quarter of Game 3 here at Araneta Coliseum with TNT and Rain or Shine tied at 21.
• TNT with an 13-7 lead over Rain or Shine midway through the first quarter in Game 3 of the PBA semifinals.

Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings in Game 2 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals against NorthPort Batang Pier. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—With the way Ginebra’s PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinal series against Northport is going, it doesn’t seem like it’s the Gin Kings’ core that also played for Gilas Pilipinas is even remotely tired.

Ginebra blasted Northport in another blowout, 119-106, to take a 2-0 series lead over the top-seeded squad after the elimination round.

When asked whether Batang Pier key cog Joshua Munzon felt Ginebra slowed down due to fatigue, the athletic guard laughed it off.

TNT Tropang Giga guard Jayson Castro on the floor. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

TNT will have to push through with its quest to win the PBA Commissioner’s Cup title without its unquestioned leader Jayson Castro after a serious knee injury ruled him out for the rest of the season.

“It’s very concerning, not only for this series but for Jayson’s well-being long term,” coach Chot Reyes said as the Tropang Giga went for a commanding 3-0 lead over the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters minus Castro in Sunday’s 5 p.m. opener at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Team manager Jojo Lastimosa confirmed that Castro was diagnosed with a full-thickness patellar tendon tear in his right knee which he incurred with three minutes left in the fourth quarter of TNT’s 93-91 escape act two nights ago as he was attempting to go for a layup.

TNT Tropang Giga guard Jayson Castro on the floor. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Jayson Castro has been ruled out for the rest of the PBA season after suffering a knee injury in TNT’s win over Rain or Shine in Game 2 of their Commissioner’s Cup semifinal series.

Team manager Jojo Lastimosa confirmed Saturday that Castro was diagnosed with a full thickness patellar tendon tear on his right knee after going down during the fourth quarter of the Tropang Giga’s 93-91 win over the Elasto Painters at Philsports Arena in Pasig City.

Castro had to be taken to the ambulance on a stretcher, something that has not occurred for much of his decorated career despite dealing with injuries over the last few seasons.

Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings’ veteran big man Japeth Aguilar during Game 2 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals against NorthPort Barang Pier. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

As it cruised to a 2-0 lead over NorthPort in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals, the challenge now for Barangay Ginebra is to make sure it can’t take a step back even if it has the luxury to do so.

“It’s the playoffs, and you can’t mess around with that,” coach Tim Cone said after the Gin Kings’ 119-106 victory on Friday at Philsports Arena in Pasig City, the second straight night they won by double figures.

Ginebra’s latest triumph, aided by a fiery first half anchored by Japeth Aguilar and Jamie Malonzo, has created an impression that getting back to the Finals is all but a mere formality, even if that target means needing two more wins to hit.

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