Basketball

Ginebra Blows Out Bay Area to Win PBA Title In Front of Sold-Out Arena

By Annika Caniza - January 16, 2023
Barangay Ginebra successfully defended their home turf after defeating the Bay Area Dragons in Game 7 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Final in front of a record crowd.

The energy in the Philippine Arena, the biggest indoor stadium in the country, was electric as a record crowd of 54,589 watched Barangay Ginebra blow out the Bay Area Dragons to win Game 7 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup, 114-99.

This marks the Gin Kings’ fourth win in six PBA conferences, cementing them as the dominating team in the Philippines.

In front of a sold-out Philippine Arena, Justin Brownlee put on a show. To help the team secure the win, he scored 34 points and recorded 12 assists, eight rebounds, and three blocks. Meanwhile, Jamie Malonzo also dropped a double-double, showing off with 22 points and 17 rebounds.

With the dominating victory, Ginebra head coach Tim Cone brings his overall record to 25 PBA championships. This record makes him a living legend in the Philippine basketball scene.

“Frankly, we were angry after Game 6,” Cone expressed. “We didn’t want to go to a Game 7. We had Game 6 in hand, we had that nice comeback, then we let it slip away, and we felt angry about that.”

Feeding off of this energy, along with the electricity from nearly 55,000 fans cheering in the stadium, Barangay Ginebra celebrated their 15th PBA championship, boosting their record past Alaska and Magnolia.

With this, only the San Miguel Beermen, with their 28 league titles, have more than Ginebra.

On the other hand, the Bay Area Dragons will go back to Hong Kong as the runners-up in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.

Banner image from PBA on Twitter.


Welcoming the New Year: 5 sports events we’re dying to see in 2023

Free to Dream: Anta Shocks the Game with new 4×4 basketball tournament

Carl Tamayo forgoes 3 playing years with UP to join Japan B.League