Big leads vanishing into thin air have become commonplace in contemporary basketball and with the way the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings won Game 1 of the 2025 Honda PBA Philippine Cup semifinals, it seems they’ve pretty much set a path into modernity.
It was a back-and-forth in the purest sense between the Gin Kings and the San Miguel Beermen early on in Game 1, until the Beermen showed signs of their dominant selves by pairing an imposing interior game with some solid 3-point shooting. SMB’s lead grew to as many as 18 points in the second quarter, but not even an uphill climb could kill Ginebra’s never-say-die spirit.
The Gin Kings relied on their bench depth and timely baskets to come back and take an early series lead. San Miguel was stunned with how the game turned away from them and now they have their work cut out for them. Meanwhile, Ginebra seems to be perfectly fine operating under these circumstances.
The familiarity that the Gin Kings have with one another, even with the additions of Troy Rosario and Stephen Holt among other things, has made them one of the more stable units in the PBA. There aren’t many highs and lows to their game, just a steady stream of offense that allows anyone to compensate for the off-days of their peers.
In Game 1, RJ Abarrientos had more field goal attempts (12) than points (two) and yet, Ginebra got contributions from the likes of Raymond Aguilar, who has rarely been a regular fixture but stepped up when the Gin Kings needed him the most.
Holt and Rosario were also struggling in the series opener, but when it was gut-check time, they made the baskets that spelled the difference between a momentum builder and an uphill climb.
For the most part, Game 1 does not necessarily decide the outcome of the series. Maybe the Beermen only needed to overcome opening game jitters. Perhaps June Mar Fajardo and Marcio Lassiter left all their mistakes on the floor before moving onto Game 2. As likely as these scenarios may be, so too are the chances that Ginebra is peaking at the right time. Not only do contributions come from anywhere and everywhere, but it also stems from the fact that anyone on the roster is ready to be called upon, whether that’s for a second-half appearance after a long spell on the bench or the need for a basket despite missing more shots than one could count. Indeed, it’s striking when the iron is hot because the moment it cools down, a title opportunity could slip away.
Nevermind that the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings were facing an 18-point deficit midway through the second quarter; the Gin Kings managed to rally and slip past the San Miguel Beermen to draw first blood in the 2025 Honda PBA Philippine Cup semifinals. Given the talent and the championship pedigree on both sides, neither will give an inch and with the way things have gone thus far, the Ginebra seems fine with the close quarters combat.
