PBA: Abarrientos fires 34 as Ginebra halts Rain or Shine’s four-game win streak

MANILA — RJ Abarrientos’ red-hot shooting powered Ginebra past Rain or Shine, 129-111, to secure just their third win in the PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup, Friday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

It was a crucial win for the Gin Kings, creating a tie with Blackwater, which lost earlier in the day, at 3-4 in Group B.

Abarrientos and the debuting Jordan Murphy set the tone early as the Gin Kings pulled away, 40-19, in the opening period en route to a 73-46 cushion entering the halftime break.

The former FEU guard already had 20 points on 2-of-4 clip from the second arc and four makes from the three-point line in the first two frames, to finish with a 34-point total to go with nine assists and three steals.

Murphy, in his first Ginebra game, tallied 30 markers, 13 rebounds, and seven dimes, showing what he can do for the crowd favorite as Ginebra’s Governors’ Cup campaign resumed on a sweet note.

On the other hand, it was an unfortunate start for the Elasto Painters after the break, catching them off-guard as they saw their streak halted.

Aaron Fuller paced the losing cause with 23 points, 13 rebounds, but committed nine whopping turnovers. Vince Cuajao had 19 points, while Adrian Nocum chipped in 15 markers.