Ginebra weathers late NorthPort rally to give Tim Cone a winning return

Scottie Thompson flirted with a triple-double but Ginebra had to weather a huge NorthPort storm to come away with a 100-93 victory and get back on the winning track in the 2022 PBA Philippine Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Sunday, July 17.

The Kings bucked a slow start but got the much-needed spark from Thompson and Nards Pinto in the second quarter before holding off a huge fourth quarter uprising spearheaded by Robert Bolick to list their seventh win and clinch the sixth in the standings.

With the win, the Kings welcomed the return of head coach Tim Cone from his NBA Summer League stint with an assured best-of-three affair in the quarterfinals.

Thompson provided a game-long brilliance with 23 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists while Pinto added 18 points built on four triples.

The Gin Kings, after struggling the opening frame, found their groove in the middle quarters, even exploding for 33 points in the third quarter to build the biggest lead at 22, 80-58.

The Batang Pier, who are badly needing a victory to boost their playoff hopes, rode the hot hands of Bolick who fired 29 points on a scintillating 8-of-14 clip from beyond the arc. Bolick nailed four triples in the final frame – the last one allowing the Batang Pier to come within five, 94-89, with 2:43 left in the game.

Thompson however steadied the ship in the endgame for the Kings, delivering four of the last six points to slam the door on NorthPort’s comeback hopes.