MANILA – San Miguel and Ginebra have secured spots in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals following victories in their quarterfinal matchups at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City on Friday night.

The Beermen earned their semifinal berth by holding off the Rain Or Shine Elasto Painters with a final score of 127-122.

After a tied game at 67 during halftime, SMB dominated in the third quarter, outscoring ROS 42-22, establishing a commanding 109-89 lead entering the fourth quarter.

Despite the Elasto Painters attempting a late rally and narrowing the gap to eight points, 127-119, with 1:49 remaining, they failed to score again, and SMB secured the win with a final three-pointer from Keith Datu with just 11 seconds left.

Bennie Boatwright led SMB with an impressive performance, contributing 41 points on 17-of-28 field goals, along with 10 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 block.

Jericho Cruz added 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including a perfect 5-for-5 on two-pointers, and contributed 1 rebound and 1 assist, while June Mar Fajardo chipped in 13 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 block, and 3 steals.

Tree Treadwell led ROS with 23 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, and 1 block.

In the nightcap, the Gin Kings defeated the NorthPort Batang Pier with a score of 106-93.

Ginebra dominated the second quarter, outscoring NorthPort 30-13, and establishing a 55-35 halftime lead.

Although the Batang Pier made efforts to close the gap in the third quarter, coming within 10 points at 73-63 late in the period, the Gin Kings regained control in the fourth quarter, extending the lead to 20 points, 102-82, with three-and-a-half minutes remaining.

NorthPort managed a 9-0 run to cut the deficit to 11, 102-91, with 1:41 remaining, but it proved to be their last effort.

Tony Bishop led Ginebra with an impressive stat line, contributing 31 points, 15 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal.

Jamie Malonzo added 21 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal, while Christian Standhardinger chipped in 18 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists, and 1 block.

JM Calma and Joshua Munzon each scored 19 points, with Calma also grabbing 10 rebounds for NorthPort, which noticeably played without Arvin Tolentino.

Venky Jois added 18 points, 14 rebounds, 12 assists, 4 blocks, and 2 steals.

Game 1 of the best-of-five series between the Beermen and the Gin Kings is scheduled at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City on Wednesday night.

(el Amigo/MNM)

Jeremiah Gray, the Filipino-American guard for Barangay Ginebra, has been released from the hospital after three days of confinement since a distressing incident that led to a dislocated right knee during the recent PBA On Tour match against NLEX on Sunday.

Richard del Rosario, the assistant coach of Ginebra, shared with the press on Wednesday, “Gray has already been discharged. We are currently awaiting the reduction of swelling before scheduling a follow-up examination with the medical team.”

Standing at 6 feet 5 inches, Gray was swiftly taken to Medical City right after the unfortunate tumble in the waning 22 seconds of the third quarter. He managed to steal the ball and was in full throttle for a layup, attempting to maneuver past NLEX forward Tony Semerad, which ultimately led to the awkward landing.

Del Rosario, the orchestrator of the Gin Kings’ On Tour campaign, revealed that there isn’t a definitive diagnosis at this juncture, as they anticipate the medical team’s analysis of Gray’s MRI results. (ai/mnm)