The Barangay Ginebra faithful is about to go full bananas again. The Gin Kings are one step closer from returning to the finals and having a chance to bag another championship, a feat they haven’t accomplished in the previous three conferences.

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, though. We don’t want to witness Ginebra fans have a meltdown on social media, do we?

Reminding everyone why they are a perennial powerhouse

The last two games were about the Gin Kings being revved up for redemption. The 25 and 27-point wins in Games 2 and 3, respectively, were a good retaliation to the embarrassing Game 1 defeat, where they were shockingly blown out, 124-90.

What’s more telling about Ginebra’s efficient system can be seen in the ability to rely on the locals when the import is not clicking, something that was showcased in the Game 2 rout. Justin Brownlee was quiet for 15 points and went just 5-fot-16 on his attempts, so Stanley Pringle and LA Tenorio stepped in and provided the goods by combining for 43 points and eight three-pointers. The bench mob also got in the action, particularly Jeff Chan, who scored 12 in 19 minutes, and Greg Slaughter, who had 16 in 22 minutes. Chan also came up big in Game 3 – 17 points on 7-for-10 shooting in 15 minutes.

Northport Batang Pier presents a huge obstacle, as led by import Michael Qualls, franchise cornerstone Sean Anthony, and recent key acquisition Christian Standhardinger. They wouldn’t upset the first-seeded NLEX Road Warriors for no reason. However, it is clear that Ginebra now has their foot on the gas and the opposition is at their mercy. Northport shot the ball well in Game 3 (50%) and the Gin Kings basically cancelled it out by shooting over 56%.

Justin Brownlee

Arguably the most beloved import in recent memory, Justin Brownlee further proved in Game 3 why he has earned such a label. Ginebra’s workhorse regained his mojo to fill the stat sheet with 41 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists, three steals, and three blocks on 15-for-28 shooting, which also included a handful of dunks.

TNT vs. Meralco

On the other side of semi-finals match-ups are sister teams TNT KaTropa and Meralco Bolts, who are still fighting for every inch. The two will engage for Game 3 tonight at 7:00 PM at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Look for imports Allen Durham (Bolts) and KJ McDaniels (KaTropa) to have stat-stuffing numbers. It’s a series where the locals have taken a step back, and it’s anyone’s guess which of the Pinoy ballers can emerge next. Checkout our full preview here.