Ginebra Kicks Off PBA PH Cup With Resounding Win Over Terrafirma

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The Barangay Ginebra San Miguel opened its PBA Philippine Cup campaign with a dominant outing over the Terrafirma Dyip, 101-80, on April 23, 2025, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

A month after falling to the TNT Tropang Giga in the grand finals of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup, the Gin Kings are back with a vengeance, seeking to return to the pedestal in one of their pet conferences, the All-Filipino.

Brimming with confidence and eager to return to the PBA hardwood, the Gin Kings smoked Terrafirma from the get-go behind Japeth Aguilar’s dominant presence in the shaded lane.

The veteran frontcourt star was a headache for the Dyip as his size and great hands in catching lobs steered Ginebra to an early double-digit lead.

Terrafirma tried to counter by deploying soft double teams on entry passes, but Aguilar’s versatility was on full display as he shrugged off the coverage with an easy sweeping hook move.

Despite Mark Nonoy’s resurgence in the second quarter, the Gin Kings recovered when Aguilar checked back into the ballgame and helped restore order with several putbacks off perimeter misses.

No matter how hard Terrafirma tried to contain Aguilar, Ginebra’s force underneath capped their first game back with a stellar 30-point performance alongside seven rebounds, two assists, and two blocks.

Overall, Terrafirma’s failure to contain Aguilar became the game’s major storyline as they allowed him to dominate the 50-50 ball possessions and the battle for loose balls.

RJ Abarrientos also stepped up for the Gin Kings and delivered 14 points and seven assists.

He was instrumental during the third quarter when Terrafirma staged a 9-2 run, weaving his magic with back-to-back dimes that ballooned their cushion back to 17 points.

After a slow start in the first half, Abarrientos regained his shooting stroke at the start of the third and also got to the rim at will off pick-and-roll gaps.

“I think our guys are really good at moving forward and moving on. We don’t look back. We’re motivated because it’s the All-Filipino,” said Ginebra head coach Tim Cone after the convincing win.

Awaiting the Gin Kings in their next PBA game tomorrow are the mighty San Miguel Beermen.

The June Mar Fajardo-led franchise is eyeing a bounce-back win after losing a close clash against the Magnolia Hotshots in their last outing.