Scottie Thompson remained proud of how Ginebra fought, despite falling short of their goal to retain the PBA Governors’ Cup crown.
Although he feels for the Kings’ faithful, the reigning MVP chose to look at their Finals loss to TNT as a valuable lesson, moving forward as the perennial contenders try to pick themselves up and chase another title.
“Ito ‘yung pinaka-best way na, for me, lesson learned,” he said shortly after their 97-93 Game 6 defeat Friday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
“Talagang marami kaming natutunan dito sa series na ‘to. Malaking bagay for us ‘yung experience na ‘to, kahit natalo kami. Gagamitin namin ‘to as motivation sa mga next conference,” added the do-it-all guard.
Thompson put up a valiant effort in Game 6 with 20 points, eight rebounds, and nine assists, in a performance that saw him steer Ginebra to a 44-33 lead during the second quarter following a personal 9-0 run. But they couldn’t sustain momentum, with Mikey Williams and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson powering the Tropang Giga’s second-half retaliation that eventually turned into a celebration for the flagship MVP franchise.
Thompson could only tip his hat to their long-time corporate rivals, which he said is truly deserving of winning their first Governors’ Cup title.
“Tough series against a very tough team,” he offered. “‘Di man ‘yung gusto naming goal na mangyari ngayon and we know na marami kaming malungkot na NSD fans, but TNT, talagang deserve nila ‘tong championship na ‘to.”
He kept his head up high, appreciating how the whole team competed despite missing LA Tenorio and with Japeth Aguilar still groping for form after suffering an MCL injury last February.
There remain many chances for the 29-year-old to go for gold, as he leads a Ginebra core that includes Jamie Malonzo and Jeremiah Gray, both of whom will surely mature as they figure into many more battles moving forward.
“Talagang ganon, may nananalo at natatalo. Important thing is lumaban naman kami. We’re proud na lumaban kami hanggang dulo,” Thompson said.
“Hopefully, marami kaming matututunan at natutunan sa series na ‘to,” he added.
“Congrats sa TNT, talagang deserve nila ‘tong championship.”
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The 2023 PBA Governors Cup Finals is live-streamed on SMART Sports.
