Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings’ guard LA Tenorio reacts after nailing the game-winner that forced a Game 7 against San Miguel Beermen in the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—Just when it seemed San Miguel Beer was on its way to the PBA Philippine Cup Finals, Barangay Ginebra coach Tim Cone turned to his old reliable to pull off a miracle.
On Sunday, the Gin Kings stunned the Beermen, 88-87, behind a game-winning three-pointer by LA Tenorio to force a winner-take-all Game 7 scheduled for Wednesday.
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Cone simply had no other words to describe the win—and Tenorio’s shot—as nothing short of a miracle.
“Miracles do happen and we were grasping for straws out there all game long,” said Cone, who heaved several sighs of relief after the final buzzer.
“We turned to our veteran leader and he made the big plays down the stretch, something he hasn’t been able to do all series but LA’s presence out there does a lot to make big plays down the stretch.”
Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings’ guard LA Tenorio reacts after nailing the game-winner that forced a Game 7 against San Miguel Beermen in the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
The Gin Kings looked left for dead with 8:34 to go in the fourth, trailing 78-71 against a Beermen side needing just one more win to clinch a Finals berth.
But Ginebra leaned on its “Never Say Die” spirit in front of a rowdy crowd at Araneta Coliseum.
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With 3:53 left, Tenorio drilled a triple to tie the game at 83-all after the Gin Kings trailed by as much as 16 points.
But he wasn’t done yet.
After June Mar Fajardo and CJ Perez put the Beermen back on top, 87-85, Ginebra called timeout with 11.1 seconds remaining to set up one last play–which turned out to be Tenorio’s miraculous long bomb.
ALL SMILES FOR THE GIN-ERAL!
LA Tenorio is all smiles after sinking the game-winner for Ginebra to notch an 88-87 win vs. San Miguel Beer in the semis.
To Game 7, they go. | @MeloFuertesINQ
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— INQUIRER Sports (@INQUIRERSports) July 6, 2025
“Like coach Tim said, miracles do happen, not only in this game but in my personal life,” said the former Alaska guard, who also prevailed over colon cancer two years ago.
“As a leader of the team for a long time now, I really need to be on point on everything. It doesn’t matter if it’s two minutes or how long. For this game, I was really ready not to go home.
Tenorio finished with 11 points, two rebounds, and two assists.
Helping him spark the comeback was Scottie Thompson, who nearly had a triple-double with 17 points, 16 rebounds, and eight assists —including the game-winning assist to Tenorio–with no turnovers.
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Fajardo’s 21 points and 16 rebounds, along with Rodney Brondial’s 12-point, 12-rebound effort for the Beermen, weren’t enough to send the Gin Kings packing.
All stats will be out the window come Wednesday when Ginebra and San Miguel clash one last time in Game 7 of the semifinals at the same venue.
