Both LA Tenorio and Japeth Aguilar were not at full strength in Barangay Ginebra San Miguel’s 2020 PBA Philippine Cup debut versus NLEX, Sunday night at the Angeles University Sports and Cultural Center in Pampanga.
The two only joined the team scrimmages the night before the game since they had just entered the bubble days ago. Tenorio is fresh from a laparoscopic appendectomy while Aguilar reportedly went through rehab for an old injury.
But even if the stars were not in their usual selves, the Barangay sure received plenty of contributions from the other Gin Kings that ultimately led to the 102-92 victory over the Road Warriors — much to the delight of Coach Tim Cone.
A total of seven players finished in double figures in the win, with Aljon Mariano leading the way with 20 points on an efficient 8-of-13 shooting from the field along with five rebounds, four assists, and a steal in 30 minutes.
Then there’s his good pal Scottie Thompson, who notched a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds, with five assists, two steals, and a block. His outside shooting was on display, too, as he went 3-of-4 from beyond the arc.
Thompson scored eight in the third quarter where the Gin Kings unloaded a 13-2 run en route to a 75-59 lead, before Mariano scored nine in the final period to keep the Road Warriors at bay.
Six-foot-seven slotman Prince Caperal was part of Cone’s starting unit and he didn’t disappoint as he finished with 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting with three caroms in nearly 25 minutes of playing time.
Jared Dillinger himself showed how valuable he is for the Barangay as he made 12 points, five rebounds, and a block off the bench.
“Guys like Aljon and JD really stepped up. Prince stepped up for us; we got a really good second half from Scottie Thompson. We’ve played a lot better than I thought we would,” said Cone postgame.
But as glad as he is, the league’s most accomplished mentor believes that Ginebra will still receive more help, especially from their rookie trio of Arvin Tolentino, Jerrick Balanza, and Kent Salado.
Tolentino was a starter in his PBA debut, with five points and two rebounds in over 17 minutes of action. Balanza only played for a couple of minutes while Salado sat the game.
“We still expect more from Arvin Tolentino, we expect more from Jerrick Balanza. These are guys we feel can step up for us. Kent Salado didn’t play today, but he will get some time as well,” Cone said.
“Those rookies of ours, we have a lot of belief in them. And we showed that by starting Arvin in the game. I’m really high on Arvin, I think he’s gonna be a big impact player in this league.”
