“Ganoon naman eh.”
There was something unusual about the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel side during the latter part of their Game 1 affair against the Purefoods Star Hotshots Thursday night. It was not a “what”, but rather a “who”.
In the game’s final period, Scottie Thompson was seen riding the bench for the vast majority of the final period. Coincidentally, as the final buzzer sounded, the Barangay found themselves on the losing end, 78-74.
In the whole 12 minutes of the fourth quarter, Thompson sniffed the court for a measly two minutes — a surprising move by the Ginebra coaches, knowing that they usually field in the sophomore guard during late-game situations.
The six-foot-one combo guard still garnered 10 rebounds, but that proved to be the only glaring stat he had. Thompson finished with seven markers on 3-of-4 shooting and dished out three assists in 24 minutes of action.
Not seeing the 23-year-old being involved in a crucial situation such as Game 1 has become atypical, in a way. But for the former NCAA Most Valuable Player, that is just how games roll out sometimes.
“Ganun naman eh,” said Thompson. “Dikit yung laban, ganda ng nilalaro nung nasa loob. So ganun talaga.
“‘Pag nasa crucial game ka, kung sino yung pumutok sa loob tsaka yung magaganda depensa [sila yung magtatagal sa loob].”
Asked if he felt disappointed with the benching he had received, Thompson was quick to say no.
“Ah hindi naman. Kasi alam ko naman yung ginagawa nila coach eh. Best of seven series naman ‘to, kailangan ‘di kami mapagod sa buong series,” said Thompson.
And Thompson vows to keep himself ready for the grind that is Semifinals Clasico.
