As undoubtedly the face of the NorthPort franchise, Arvin Tolentino can take pride in the Batang Pier’s continued rise in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup following a massive midweek win over Barangay Ginebra.
“Very happy because of enjoying that winning feeling again, being No. 1 [in the team standings],” Tolentino said after the Batang Pier’s 119-116 escape act on Wednesday night at Philsports Arena in Pasig City.
Article continues after this advertisement
NorthPort improved to a league-best 7-1 record after the character-building result that all but assured the team’s spot in the quarterfinals, something it has not reached in the last two conferences.
Led by Tolentino, import Kadeem Jack, Joshua Munzon plus William Navarro and Cade Flores, the Batang Pier built an 18-point fourth-quarter lead then showed true character despite squandering the huge gap while benefiting from a pair of miscues late by Justin Brownlee to produce a victory not seen in five years.
It was NorthPort’s first win over Ginebra since Dec. 14, 2019, in Game 1 of the Governors’ Cup semifinals. The Gin Kings won the next 14 showdowns with the Batang Pier.
Article continues after this advertisement
“It’s a statement win for us,” declared Batang Pier coach Bonnie Tan. “The question coming into this game is whether we could win against the big teams.
“But we hope that with this win, we’ve proved that we’re here to win games. And we’re here to be competitive, and not just be any other team,” he added.
Obviously, there was joy inside the NorthPort locker room, but with four games left in the Batang Pier’s elimination-round schedule, things may get tougher the rest of the way.
Up next for NorthPort are Meralco (4-3) on Tuesday, second-running Rain or Shine (5-1) on Thursday and unusually struggling San Miguel Beer (3-4) on Jan. 21. The classification schedule for NorthPort concludes on Jan. 25 against lowly Blackwater.
Friday games
“It feels great … for now,” Tolentino said. “Of course, there’s still a long way to go. And like I always say, we celebrate until midnight, but it’s back to work the next day and we look forward to the next game.”
The Batang Pier’s victory came amid the attention surrounding team governor Erick Arejola’s involvement in a brawl featuring players and parents of both La Salle Zobel and Arandia College in the NBTC qualifier the previous weekend in Las Pinas City.
Arejola was mum about his part in the incident, which became viral after videos surfaced on social media.
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.
Ginebra dropped to 5-3 despite taking a one-point lead in the fourth, with Brownlee uncharacteristically missing the second of three free throws and slipping on the baseline, with a chance to tie the game on both occasions.
Action continues on Friday at Ninoy Aquino Stadium with Magnolia looking to get its acts back together with a 2-5 slate against winless Terrafirma at 5 p.m. before Meralco plays NLEX at 7:30 p.m.
