By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The NorthPort Batang Pier squad is still alive in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals after surviving the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in Game 4, 108-103, on March 5, 2025, at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
With the action-packed victory, NorthPort will not be ending their playoff campaign with a sweep and will live another day by forcing a pivotal Game 5 affair.
The Batang Pier already held a comfortable 11-point lead, 104-93, with only 4:08 remaining in the final quarter but the Gin Kings’ signature never-say-die mantra once again helped them keep themselves within striking distance.
From facing an 11-point deficit, Ginebra had the chance to win the ball game after completing the comeback in the final 37 seconds and was only down by a point, 104-103, courtesy of a clutch three-pointer from Stephen Holt.
Ginebra’s momentum-stealing 10-0 run in the final four minutes propelled them from their come-from-behind efforts, putting a lot of pressure on the NorthPort side of things after the coaching staff was forced to call another timeout.
Just when the Ginebra hopefuls thought that they already witnessed an old and recurring script, the Batang Pier responded well after their import Kadeem Jack saved the day with a cold-blooded fade-away from the mid-post.
Jack’s clutch fade-away pulled NorthPort back to within a three-point cushion, 106-103, and revived their will to win after breaking their offensive dry spell in the most crucial stretch of the fourth.
Unfortunately for the Gin Kings, Justin Brownlee missed his driving layup to the lane that could’ve trimmed their deficit to just a point.
Ginebra had a bright chance of equalizing the ball game at 106-all after Scottie Thompson located Holt off an offensive rebound but his hail mary trey from the left elbow missed, resulting in a defensive board pulled down by NorthPort’s William Navarro.
The Gin Kings had no choice but to use their foul limit which was capitalized by Arvin Tolentino who cashed both shots from the charity stripe, giving the Batang Pier a five-point advantage, 108-103.
Ginebra burned their last timeout and designed a curl play for RJ Abarrientos but his long four-point attempt went strong and bounced off the rim.
Jack was a monster for the Batang Pier after exploding for 39 big points alongside 15 rebounds and five assists. Tolentino backstopped his huge offensive night with a near triple-double outing of 20 markers, 11 assists, and nine boards.
What made the difference for NorthPort during their much-needed win was their improved ball movement as they tallied 28 total assists as a team.
With all the guys sharing the ball, the Batang Pier achieved a balanced attack to hold off the Gin Kings. Aside from Jack and Tolentino, Navarro, Joshua Munzon, and Paolo Taha also contributed and chipped in 16, 14, and 11 points, respectively.
NorthPort will attempt for another breather today, as they meet again for Game 5 of the PBA semifinals in the last game of the scheduled doubleheader.
