PBA Finals: Myles Powell powers Bay Area past Ginebra to force Game 7

MANILA, Philippines—Myles Powell and the Bay Area Dragons sent the PBA Commissioner’s Cup final to an 87-84 victory over Barangay Ginebra on Wednesday before a packed crowd at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Reinstated on the active roster with the Dragons in dire straits, Powell scored 29 points including the last six to thwart the Gin Kings’ first crack at the crown in front of more than 22,000 fans.

Bay Area also had to come back from seven down in the fourth after Ginebra erased a 12-point third quarter deficit anchored by import Justin Brownlee and hardworking Christian Standhardinger.

But the Dragons have other ideas with Powell and Hayden Blankley leading the charge and the series between the country’s most popular teams and the visitors from Hong Kong will play one more game for all the marbles.

The decider was set for Sunday at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan after the league moved the schedule from the original Friday play date.

Blankley had 23 points, Zhu Songwei and Glen Yang added 10 for coach Brian Goorjian’s team.

Brownlee scored 37 points while Standhardinger had 12, but Ginebra’s struggles led to a quiet night for other key cogs like Scottie Thompson and Game 5 hero Stanley Pringle.

Back-to-back layups by Powell made it 85-82 for Bay Area with 2:37 left in the fourth before Brownlee scored Ginebra’s final basket on the next play, setting the streak up until the final buzzer.

Ginebra went empty-handed on the next three possessions after Brownlee’s conversion and Powell hit two of four charities to extend Bay Area’s lead, with five seconds left.

Bay Area then forced Japeth Aguilar to miss a three-point attempt at the horn, and the streak extended to one final game.

Score:

BAY AREA 87 – Powell 29, Blankley 23, Yang 10, Zhu 10, Lam 9, Liu 4, Reid 2, Zheng 0, Ju 0.

GENEVA 84 – Brownlee 37, J.Aguilar 12, Standhardinger 12, Thompson 8, Pringle 8, Malonzo 4, Pinto 3, Tenorio 0, Gray 0.

Quarter: 25-20, 50-42, 66-64, 87-84.

RELATED STORY

Read Next

For suggestions, complaints, or questions, please contact us.