When it comes to postseason basketball, you’d expect the stars and starters of the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings to take the lead in the team’s bid for their first Philippine Cup championship since 2020. However, in Game 1 of their PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup semifinal matchup against the San Miguel Beermen, it was the bench that took center stage. 

The Gin Kings enjoyed a 54-29 advantage in bench points thanks to RJ Abarrientos (23 points), Ralph Cu (13 points), Jayson David (10 points), and Norbert Torres (eight points). Their efforts offset the off nights of Ginebra’s starters, with only Scottie Thompson scoring in double figures. In fact, when Thompson was with the bench group, the ball was moving much better and the Gin Kings relied on more than just second-chance points in their battle against the Beermen. 

On the defensive end, SMB saw different looks that stunted any offensive rhythm they were trying to generate. Thus, they could not pull away on a night when their opponents were supposedly not at their best. 

Playoff basketball tends to reward those that are ready to show up when the lights shine bright. Both teams are loaded with stars and so it’s the “other guys” who could define the fine margins that tend to separate wins and losses. Ginebra head coach Tim Cone has done a solid job preparing his players for anything they could face this postseason and this has been a group he has been confident in deploying against the best team in the league. Compared to their rivals, the Gin Kings had to climb mountains just to get to where they are now and all of that has prepared them for this moment. 

It’s more likely than not that San Miguel will come back with a vengeance in Game 2 and they could very well take a page out of Ginebra’s Game 1 playbook when they have their own magic bunot. Then again, the Gin Kings have momentum because of how their bench has got a headstart and if their starters catch on later in the series, this matchup could end quicker than your drive back home through EDSA. 

Basketball is a star-driven game, but it’s the team effort that wins championships. On a night when most of the starters of the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings were not at their best, it was their brothers from the bench that picked up the slack and drew first blood in what will be a gruelling series with the San Miguel Beermen. The likes of Scottie Thompson and RJ Barrientos tend to get the recognition from pundits and fans, but their peers from the pine walked for them to get their run in the spotlight.