BARANGAY Ginebra coach Tim Cone compared LA Tenorio to Jojo Lastimosa after his command performance for the Gin Kings in Game Six of the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals against Meralco on Friday night.
After seeing Tenorio score 30 points in the close-out match against Meralco to help Ginebra take a 103-92 win for its 14th championship in the PBA, Cone likened his star guard to the Lastimosa he coached during his time with Alaska.
“That’s LA. I’ve been saying, he has his moments where he’s not playing great basketball but all of a sudden, when he really needed him to step up, he stepped up,” said the two-time grand slam winner.
“I used the comparison of Jojo Lastimosa,” Cone added of his former player at Alaska who was once called as ‘The Fourth Quarter Man’ during his heyday. “He was the same type of guy. Jojo could struggle to game or a series, but when you need him most to step up, especially in that quarter, he hits big shots.”
“That’s what LA does for us. He makes big plays,” said Cone.
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Tenorio kept Ginebra in the game with 15 points in the first half as Ginebra and Meralco ended up tied after the first half, 47-47. Justin Brownlee and Scottie Thompson took over in the third, before Tenorio hit 11 points in the fourth quarter to put the Bolts away - for good.
“He makes the big shots and he took over the game. He truly did. He’s a kid who loves to win and knows how to win,” sad Cone.