Ginebra rookie RJ Abarrientos during Game 2 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals against Meralco. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
How Barangay Ginebra rookie RJ Abarrientos plays following death threats—some explicit and a few thinly veiled—hurled at him online will probably be among the many subplots on Sunday’s pair of Game 3s that may determine the PBA Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals.
The PBA bared on the eve of the doubleheader that it had sought the assistance of authorities after Abarrientos received death threats for missing a game-tying four-point shot that sealed Ginebra’s 108-104 loss to Meralco in Game 2 at Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
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“We now have coordinated with the NBI with a view to protect our players from such threats,” commissioner Willie Marcial said in Filipino. Abarrientos had posted screenshots of the threatening comments he said got here from dummy accounts in an Instagram story following the defeat.
Ginebra was in search of a four-pointer to tie things up in the ultimate seconds. Justin Brownlee initially had the ball before passing it to Abarrientos, who bungled the shot from the left side and allowed Meralco to avert a sweep and arrange a fifth knockout game between the old foes.
Online bashing is not any stranger for Abarrientos, who is thought for clapping back at netizens longing for their quarter-hour of fame with sarcastic or witty responses.
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But this one was no laughing matter.
Ginebra isn’t only in search of a spot within the Final 4, but additionally avoiding a rare low point for San Miguel Corp. (SMC).
The last time no SMC-owned ballclub reached the semifinals of a PBA tournament was within the 1995 Commissioner’s Cup—30 years ago—when Ginebra did not make the quarterfinals and San Miguel Beer was eliminated within the said round, in keeping with PBA chief statistician Fidel Mangonon III.
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“We desired to close it out,” said Brownlee. “But like we’ve been saying in years, Meralco is a troublesome team. We now have to get our rhythm back.”
Defense could possibly be the important thing to progressing, with Meralco hoping to have its predominant players in import Akil Mitchell, Chris Newsome and Cliff Hodge avoid entering into foul trouble. Ginebra, meanwhile, will look to offer Brownlee more help because the Bolts train their defense on him, hoping that the likes of Abarrientos, Troy Rosario and Stephen Holt will step up.
Physicality could reach fever pitch within the Converge-Rain or Shine tussle with each teams expected to play with something to prove in Survival Sunday’s curtain-raiser.
Rain or Shine likewise forced a do-or-die after a 114-104 win behind 28 points apiece from import Deon Thompson, who avoided foul trouble, and Adrian Nocum, who exhibited some impressive moves that dazzled the group.
“We want to step up again on this do-or-die game,” said Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao, whose only guarantee got here as a joke: “I can assure you, this series will probably be over on Sunday.”
Converge’s triple towers of import Cheick Diallo, Justin Arana and rookie Justine Baltazar will probably be out to regain their Game 1 form and secure the franchise’s first-ever semifinal berth.
