IN coach Tim Cone, he trusts.
Arvin Tolentino regained his starting spot with Barangay Ginebra after being kept in the doghouse, so to speak, following his endgame commotion with Meralco’s Raymar Jose during Game 1 of the PBA Governors Cup finals.
Arvin Tolentino on playing time
The 26-year-old Tolentino said he understands the move to have him come off the bench again from being a starter in the series opener in the aftermath of the minor distraction brought about by his heated exchange of words with Jose which spilled over the hallway the Smart Araneta Coliseum all the way to the basement parking lot.
Tolentino was DNP (Did Not Play) in Game 2 and was fielded for just five minutes the following game.
Cone talked to the big man sophomore about the reduced role and told Tolentino the incident with Jose didn’t have anything to do about it.
“He said it has nothing to do with what happened (in Game 1) and I believed him,” said Tolentino, who played 21 minutes and finished with six points and two rebounds as a Ginebra starter in the series opener.
The former Far Eastern University standout said he was really repentant for losing his cool in that Game One episode which happened in the final seven seconds and the outcome of the match already in the bag for Meralco.
“Actually after nun, nag-focus na talaga ako sa finals. Hindi na nga ako tumingin pa sa social media,” he said. “Kinalimutan ko na agad yun.
“Kahit naman yung mga teammates ko, ni hindi namin napag-usapan yun sa dugout or sa practices. Talagang totally burado na, kinalimutan ko na.”
Both Tolentino and Jose were also spared of fines by the PBA, although commissioner Willie Marcial warned them that a repetition of such incident would mean a double penalty on either one of them.
Tolentino has since remained locked up in the finals where he was again made by Cone as part of the Kings’ starting unit in Game 5, which they won, 95-84, to even the best-of-seven series at 2-2.
But he ended up scoreless in 19 minutes of play behind a 0-of-6 shooting, though he grabbed five rebounds as the Kings won the battle of the boards, 46-42.
“Basta focus na ulit tayo,” said Tolentino.
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