TIM Cone was the least surprised to see Scottie Thompson once again dish off import-like numbers for Barangay Ginebra on Wednesday night.
After the high-leaping guard turned in 23 points and 15 rebounds in the Kings’ 104-92 win over TNT that sent their quarterfinal playoff to a do-or-die encounter, Cone said the effort was ordinary for a player of Thompson’s caliber.
“I think those numbers are going to be normal for him. When he gets the 25-20 or 19 you get, ‘Wooow.’ But these numbers are just another day for Scottie,” admitted Cone.
“Those are the kinds of numbers that he will put up consistently all the time as his career continues to evolve and get better. So I’m not surprised by that, and I’m not surprised by him showing up big time.”
Thompson also added eight assists as he came close of registering yet another triple double that TNT coach Chot Reyes acknowledged him as the 'difference-maker' in the Kings’ survival win.
Do-it-all Scottie
Cone said Thompson’s all-around game also include trying to contain TNT rookie gunner Mikey Williams.
“On top of all that, he was our primary stopper on Mikey Williams,” added the Ginebra coach. “He’s doing that, and he’s doing the rebound, he’s doing the scoring, he’s doing the assisting.”
Cone stressed it just so happened the Perpetual Help University stalwart is playing for Barangay Ginebra, but even then, he sees him churning out the same impressive numbers wherever he ends up playing.
“I know he’s popular because he plays for Ginebra, but even if he’s with another team, he would still be considered one of the top players in the league,” said the champion coach.
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