A season removed from going empty-handed for the first time in the Tim Cone era, Barangay Ginebra returned to a familiar destination where it faces a familiar foe.

Big games from rookie RJ Abarrientos, Scottie Thompson, Maverick Ahanmisi and Japeth Aguilar, plus the usual late buckets from Justin Brownlee, propelled the Gin Kings to a 102-99 win over the San Miguel Beermen that took Ginebra back to the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals.

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Ahanmisi scored 25 points after going 9-for-15 from the field, providing the support that Brownlee and the usual reliables needed at the clutch.

Ginebra will meet TNT in a rematch of the 2023 edition of the title series, which ended with Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and the Tropang Giga stopping Brownlee and the Kings in six games.

Game 1 is set for Sunday at Ynares Center in Antipolo City.

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Cone has brought Ginebra back to the PBA’s ultimate stage after a pair of semifinal exits in the 2023-24 campaign. That broke a streak of seven straight seasons under Cone that the Gin Kings won at least one championship.

But an offseason retooling, which saw the arrival of Abarrientos and ex-Terrafirma stars Stephen Holt and the currently injured Isaac Go, plus the return of Brownlee to domestic duties, has immediately paid off for Ginebra.

Not an easy route

It wasn’t easy, however, since the Kings had to go through their old rival the Meralco Bolts, who beat them in Game 7 of last season’s Philippine Cup semis with a three-game sweep of the quarters.

Then it was the Beermen’s turn to fall victim to the Kings, who also avenged their three-game loss to the same team in the previous season’s Commissioner’s Cup semifinals. Ironically, both San Miguel and Meralco went on to complete their respective title runs after going through Ginebra.

The final mission will be TNT, which had the most number of wins in the 10-game group stage with eight to top Group A, and lost just one each against NLEX in the quarters and Rain or Shine in the semis to march into the championship round.

Brownlee and Hollis-Jefferson, perhaps the final two contenders for the Best Import award, will duke it out for the third time for the championship, including last year’s Asian Games when Brownlee and Gilas Pilipinas defeated Hollis-Jefferson and Jordan for the gold in Hangzhou, China. INQ