Stanley Pringle played as if he never left.
Pringle sat out NorthPort’s first two games in the 2019 PBA Commissioner’s Cup while he recovered from the removal of bone spurs in his right foot. He returned to action for the Batang Pier on Wednesday night versus the TNT KaTropa.
And just in his first game back, the reigning scoring champion immediately made an impact. He poured 22 points on an efficient 61.5 percent shooting from the field, along with three assists, two rebounds, and a steal in 30 minutes.
Pringle also had a huge imprint in the Batang Pier’s second half surge, where they unloaded an overwhelming 21-0 blitz. They turned a three-point third quarter deficit to a massive 83-65 advantage early in the final period.
NorthPort rode that en route to the 110-86 win, which extended their streak to three and kept their slate clean. They also gained a share of the top spot of the team standings with another 3-0 team, the Blackwater Elite.
“Ganda pa ng balik ni Stanley,” said Batang Pier head coach Pido Jarencio.
Pringle admitted that he’s yet to reach a hundred percent in terms of recovery, but he’s glad that he was still able to deliver well. He particularly liked the way he shot from three, as he made 5-of-8.
“I’m glad I was hitting my threes because I couldn’t get much explosion off my right foot.
“But it’s coming back. Maybe two more games, I can maybe play the whole game again. I’m just waiting, trying to be patient,” said the 32-year-old.
Still, Pringle is glad now he’s back for NorthPort. He also expressed gratitude to the people who helped him recover.
“Special shout-out to Doc Eric and the medical staff for helping me recover fast,” shared the five-year league veteran out of Penn State.
“Still not all the way one hundred percent yet, I’m still working on the endurance.”
