Barangay Ginebra leaned on relentless energy from its second unit Sunday, January 4, to overpower San Miguel Beer, 99-90, and seize Game 1 of their PBA Philippine Cup semifinal series at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

RJ Abarrientos spearheaded the charge for the Gin Kings, leading a bench mob that outworked and outscored San Miguel’s reserves to snap the Beermen’s 10-game winning streak.

Abarrientos finished with a team-high 23 points, while Ralph Cu, Jayson David and Norbert Torres combined for 31 more as Ginebra dominated the battle of the benches, 54-29.

The win gave the Gin Kings early momentum in the best-of-seven duel against the top-seeded Beermen.

Bench energy flips the script

San Miguel leaned heavily on June Mar Fajardo, who delivered another imposing performance with 27 points and 23 rebounds. Despite the numbers, Ginebra found ways to neutralize the rest of the Beermen lineup.

Coach Tim Cone said the challenge was clear heading into the game. San Miguel entered the semifinals as the league’s top team in bench scoring, a strength Ginebra directly targeted.

The Gin Kings kept the tempo high whenever their reserves were on the floor. Defensive pressure, quick ball movement, and second-effort plays steadily tilted the game in Ginebra’s favor.

Ginebra survived early swings, squandering a 12-point lead before falling behind by eight. Each time, the bench responded with timely stops and baskets to keep the contest within reach.

Abarrientos closes as Ginebra strikes first

The game turned in the final minutes with the score tight at 86-85. Abarrientos took control, scoring five straight points to spark an 11-1 closing run that finally put San Miguel away.

The young guard filled the stat sheet, shooting 6-of-15 from the field and 9-of-11 from the line while adding seven assists, nine rebounds and two steals against just two turnovers.

Scottie Thompson added 23 points, while Troy Rosario and Japeth Aguilar chipped in key contributions as Ginebra executed down the stretch.

Abarrientos credited the trust of his teammates for the confidence to attack in crunch time, embracing his role as a sparkplug off the bench.

With San Miguel absorbing its first loss in more than two months, Ginebra walked away with a statement win, proving depth and energy could trump star power in the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals.