CHICAGO — Apparently, Stephen Holt heard all the noise.
And so on Sunday night, he made a loud bang heard 'round the ongoing Season 50 PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals.
After an unenthusiastic Games One and Two effort where he scored only one point on 0-for-5 shooting from the field, Holt injected himself in Game Three.
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The 6-foot-4 guard scored 23 points on 7-of-13 shooting, including five 3s, to help lift Ginebra past TNT, 116-102.
Prior to this eruption, I asked coach Tim Cone if Ginebra can win the title without much scoring from the former No. 1 overall pick.
“Needless to say, we need contributions from everyone to beat TNT. But If you’re watching Stephen and thinking he’s not contributing to our winning, then you’re not watching closely enough.
“His contributions go beyond scoring on and off the court,” Cone told me via text message.
GINEBRA NEARS FIRST TITLE SINCE 2022.
Justin Brownlee led the charge with 41 points while Scottie Thompson whipped a triple-double, but it was the 34-year old NBA G-League veteran who provided the spark.
Holt pumped 15 in the first quarter. a surge that allowed Ginebra to build a 22-point first-half lead.
He also chalked four rebounds and two assists, eclipsing his output at those categories in the previous two contests.
While the heroics could have come sooner, it was timely enough to push Ginebra two games away from its first PBA title since 2022.
Holt’s resurgence reminded us why he is an Alk-Stae and the league’s Rookie of the Year who averaged 21.1 points, 8.4 rebounds and 6.6 assists fir the Dyip in Season 48.
So for now it’s safe to put a Holt on all the doubts.
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