MANILA, January 13 ------ Jamie Malonzo has finally returned to the hardwood for Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, and it came in the best way possible. After sitting out for almost nine months due to a calf injury, the athletic wingman came back in triumphant fashion as the Gin Kings trounced the Blackwater Bossing, 86-63, in their PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup faceoff at the Ynares Center in Antipolo, Rizal.
This victory allowed the crowd favorites to return to the win column after their previous loss against the NorthPort Batang Pier, and they are now sitting at 6-3 in the team standings. Malonzo posted eight points with three rebounds and a steal, and Ginebra head coach Tim Cone acknowledged that they are still slowly integrating the 6-foot-7 star back into their rotation. “For Jamie himself, it has been a long, long road for him,” he said during the postgame presser. “So it was just a culmination of his hard work to return. He’s still on a minutes restriction, and we’ll continue to monitor in our next games.”
On the other hand, Player of the Game RJ Abarrientos said that this victory would be the start of their preparations for the upcoming quarterfinals. ”Yung motivation namin is yung struggles namin sa part games,” said the Far Eastern University standout, who led all locals with 15 markers (4/4 on 2-point FGs) on top of two rebounds, an assist, and a steal. “Going into the playoffs, ito na yung start namin para mabuo yung team. Itong game na ‘to, stepping stone na ‘to for the playoffs. Rest for this night, and let’s see sa next games namin.
As Ginebra was only leading by five, 39-34, early in the second half, Justin Brownlee and Scottie Thompson scored a deuce and a trey, respectively, to push their advantage to 10 with still 10:05 left in the third. This turned out to be a prelude to a bigger run for Cone’s troops, as another five-to-nothing spurt, this time from Stephen Holt and Brownlee, put the Gin Kings up 49-36, at the 8:19 mark of the same frame.
Ginebra continued with their onslaught throughout the rest of the game — with Brownlee, Malonzo, and Troy Rosario powering an 11-to-3 BGSM run in a span of five minutes for a 60-49 lead, and this was all they needed as they even increased their advantage to 25 in the final quarter before wrapping the win up. This was the sixth loss of the Bossing in seven games, and it put their bid for a Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals spot in great peril. George King had a 27-point outing together with six rebounds, but he received minimal help for it was only Jaydee Tungcab who scored in double digits (10 points) aside from him in their side.
The Scores:
Ginebra 86 – Brownlee 18, Abarrientos 15, J.Aguilar 10, Ahanmisi 9, Malonzo 8, Holt 8, Rosario 8, Thompson 5, Pessumal 5, Cu 0, Mariano 0, Adamos 0, Pinto 0.
Blackwater 63 – King 27, Tungcab 10, Suerte 9, David 5, Kwekuteye 4, Ponferrada 3, Guinto 2, Montalbo 0, Chua 0, Corteza 0, Hill 0, Casio 0, Jopia 0, Escoto 0.
Quarterscores: 19-13, 39-32, 66-45, 86-63.
Source: news.abs-cbn.com
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