Thompson shines alongside mentor Tenorio in Ginebra’s latest win
The spotlight may have been on the bigs, but in the clutch, Ginebra still entrusted the big shots to the guards.
LA Tenorio and Scottie Thompson proved to be steady in the clutch, nailing huge triples to lift Ginebra to a 102-94 double overtime victory over Blackwater in Angeles City.
“That time was just an opportunity. Kailangan ko talaga itira,” said Tenorio, who connected on the trey with 2:08 to go that pushed the Gin Kings up, 97-94.
READ: Ginebra survives Blackwater in 2OT; Slaughter scores 35
“Sadyang pumasok lang talaga. Ayun, naka-tsamba,” Thompson said, as he sealed the deal at the 1:21 mark of the second overtime with another three-pointer. “Sinwerte pa rin kami sa overtime.”
Engaged on a hard-fought duel against the, Ginebra saw huge contributions from its frontline, with Greg Slaughter registering a career-high 35 points alongside 15 rebounds and two blocks, and Japeth Aguilar delighting his hometown crowd with 25 markers, eight boards and two rejections.
But aside from the big shots down the stretch, the playmakers also did more than their share, with Tenorio finishing with 19 points and eight boards and Thompsonadding nine markers, nine rebounds, and six assists in the quarterfinals seat-clinching victory.
For the rookie, he attributed the win to Ginebra’s dedication to staying the course.
“Nakuha namin sa sipag yung panalo,” Thompson said.
And he was elated to do wonders for Ginebra beside the veteran Tenorio, who has proven to be a willing mentor for the standout from Digos City in his inaugural season in the pros.
“Marami akong natututunan sa kanya,” said Thompson. “Parati nya akong kinakausap sa practice at sa game. Lagi nya akong ine-encourage. Malaking tulong sa akin si Kuya LA.”
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