Ginebra beats Converge, advances to semis vs San Miguel

Barangay Ginebra secured an 88-80 victory over Converge in the PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinals on Friday, advancing them to a best-of-seven semifinals series against San Miguel.

Ginebra led by as much as 16 points early in the fourth period but Converge narrowed it down to seven with less than two minutes left before Ginebra sealed their win with clutch free throws from RJ Abarrientos off a technical foul.

Abarrientos finished with 21 points, four assists, and three steals while Japeth Aguilar contributed a double-double of 19 points and 13 rebounds to lead Barangay Ginebra.

Head coach Tim Cone emphasized that defeating San Miguel is crucial for any team aiming to win the All-Filipino championship.

Game 1 of their semifinals series is set for Wednesday, with Ginebra looking to repeat their six-game victory over San Miguel from the season-opening PBA Governors' Cup.