Barangay Ginebra made sure it wouldn’t miss out on the Top Four of the PBA Philippine Cup, finishing the eliminations with a resounding 98-80 win over Rain or Shine at the Ynares Center in Antipolo on Sunday, June 15.

The win secured the No. 4 seed and a valuable twice-to-beat advantage for the Gin Kings in the upcoming quarterfinals against fifth-seeded Converge.

“The important thing is making the Magic Four,” said head coach Tim Cone, as Ginebra ended the eliminations with an 8-3 record, tied with San Miguel Beer, NLEX, and Magnolia. A quotient tiebreak left the Gin Kings in fourth place.

Stephen Holt led the charge with a 27-point, 12-rebound double-double, while Japeth Aguilar (18 points, 10 rebounds) and Jamie Malonzo (15 points, 10 rebounds) also posted impressive double-doubles.

Strong fourth-quarter push seals it

After a tight contest that saw Rain or Shine briefly take the lead in the third quarter and pull within two points at halftime (43-45), Ginebra came out blazing in the final period with a 15-0 run. Holt sparked the run with back-to-back triples, part of his six three-pointers in the game.

Other key contributions came from RJ Abarrientos (11 points, four rebounds), Scottie Thompson (eight points, nine boards), and Troy Rosario (eight points, eight rebounds). Returning guard Jason David also chipped in eight points, including two three-pointers.

The Gin Kings’ all-around effort allowed them to pull away for good, preventing the Elasto Painters from spoiling their quarterfinals setup.

PBA playoff matchups set

With the eliminations complete, the 2025 PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinals are locked in:

• No. 1 San Miguel Beer vs No. 8 Meralco

• No. 2 NLEX vs No. 7 Rain or Shine

• No. 3 Magnolia vs No. 6 TNT Tropang 5G

• No. 4 Ginebra vs No. 5 Converge

Playoffs begin on Wednesday, June 18, with NLEX and Magnolia taking first crack at the semifinals.