MANILA — A show of devastating firepower in the fourth period was all the Barangay Ginebra Kings needed to pummel the Blackwater Elite into submission, 96-82, in a PBA Commissioner's Cup road game in Binan, Laguna Friday night. Their seventh win in nine games bolstered the Kings' hopes of securing a Top 2 finish. Ginebra now holds solo second place in the standings just half a game behind the Star Hotshots (8-2). Ginebra will need to win their last two assignments—against Meralco and Mahindra—to secure a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals. As of now, the Kings are already assured of a Top 6 finish. Blackwater suffered its eighth loss in 10 games to become the second team after NLEX to crash out of the conference. Justin Brownlee once again was at the spearhead of Ginebra's offense, finishing with a whopping team-high of 35 points. The hard-working explosive import also collected 14 boards and 5 assists. LA Tenorio tallied 17 markers and 5 assists, while Japeth Aguilar added 15. Sol Mercado chipped in 9 points, 7 boards and 6 assists. Blackwater engaged Ginebra in a fierce battle for the first three quarters, even leading by eight, 57-49, late in the third quarter. Greg Smith paced the Elite with 37 points on top of 19 rebounds and 5 assists. GlobalPort107, Rain or Shine 101 Terrence Romeo, the league's leading local scorer, returned to GlobalPort after his stint with Gilas to lead the Batang Pier to a 107-101 victory over the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters. Romeo sizzled for a game-high 26 points, including a clutch three-pointer and two free throws that gave GlobalPort a 103-98 lead with only 53 seconds left. Romeo also had seven assists and five boards. Import Justin Harper added 19 points and 10 rebounds. New recruits Sean Anthony and Brad Guinto also contributed significantly in the Batang Pier's victory. Anthony and Stanley Pringle scored 15 points apiece. GlobalPort picked its fourth win in 10 games to tie idle Phoenix at eighth. The Batang Pier need to win their last elimination round game against San Miguel Beer on Friday next week to assure themselves of a spot in the playoffs. Rain or Shine suffered a fifth loss in 10 games, endangering its chances of finishing in the Top 6. The Painters could still get the No. 6 slot if they beat the streaking TNT KaTropa on Sunday. Import Duke Crews led the Painters with 23 points and 17 rebounds. James Yap played one of his best games in the conference, finishing with 22 markers. Jericho Cruz added 14 points while Jeff Chan and Raymond Almazan, added 10 each. Game Saturday: San Miguel Beer (6-2) vs. Alaska Aces (4-5).
