LA Tenorio is a firm believer that miracles indeed happen, as he’s been a living proof of it ever since he fought through — and won — a battle with the ‘Big C.’
And on Sunday night, the 40-year-old guard further embodied those beliefs after turning back the hands of time to keep Ginebra’s PBA season alive.
With the Kings grasping at straws, as Coach Tim Cone put it, the crew went to the floor general for some much-needed saving. And he did not let them down, as he starred in their 88-87 come-from-behind victory against San Miguel.
“Just like what Coach Tim said, miracles do happen. Not only in this game, but in my life. I truly believe in that,” he said after the win at the SMART Araneta Coliseum to force a Game 7 in their Philippine Cup semis encounter.
Barely used in the series, Tenorio showed that he’s always ready whenever his number gets called. He went on to finish with 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting from the field, including a spotless 3-for-3 clip from three-point distance.
Yet what many will remember — especially the Barangay and their faithful — is his eventual game-winning three with 3.1 seconds left to play to wipe out an 87-85 deficit.
“He’s made shots like that throughout his whole career, and I’ve been the beneficiary of those shots — he’s put my kids through college doing those kinds of things,” Cone quipped, smiling.
“No one appreciates it more than I do.”
Although he appeared steady, Tenorio admitted that he was actually feeling nervous as he was about to be subbed into the match.
(C) PBA Images
“Honestly, I felt like a rookie again — shaking, going to the scorer’s table,” he said with a grin. “Because you know, as a rookie, you want to make something happen, you want to help the team right away, have impact.
“That’s what I felt honestly, going into the court, even though I’ve been playing for 20 years now in the PBA,” he continued.
“But thank God.”
But once he was on the court, there was no stopping the vet. He began his big night with a triple, which bounced a few times before going in.
That was all he needed to get into the flow, leaving the Beermen with little to no response. Instead, the oldest man on the court put on a masterclass to help Ginebra complete the comeback after being down by as many as 16 points.
“We turned to our veteran, our leader, and he made the big plays down the stretch — that’s something we haven’t been able to do in this series,” Cone said.
But for Tenorio, it was all about living in the moment, something that he learned from his long-time mentor since their days with the Alaska franchise.
“I mean, you never know what’s gonna happen — the next day, the next week, I may not be playing anymore, maybe… You never know,” he said.
“What I’ve learned from Coach Tim throughout the years, even when we were in Alaska, you live in the moment. Just stay in the moment, just focus on what’s in front of you. And that’s what I did the whole game.”
#WATCH: “MIRACLES DO HAPPEN” 🙏
Tim Cone and LA Tenorio relive the unbelievable Game 6 comeback that kept Ginebra alive in the #PBA2025 Philippine Cup Semifinals 🏀#ReadMore 👉 https://t.co/mDsJOnE81e
📹 @justinebacnis /Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/19XLELSfqS
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) July 6, 2025
