BARANGAY Ginebra stressed the benching of Christian Standhardinger in the fourth quarter of its loss to Terrafirma was a coaching strategy more than anything else.
Deputy Richard Del Rosario said the coaching staff deemed it best to keep the veteran Fil-German on the bench and stick with the unit of LA Tenorio, Japeth Aguilar, Sidney Onwubere, Jamie Malonzo, and Maverick Ahanmisi since it was also the five players who made the effort to keep the team afloat with every Terrafirma run.
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Head coach Tim Cone allowed Del Rosario to take charge on the bench early in the second half when the Kings appeared not to be responding in an uphill fight against a highly-inspired Terrafirma side.
“We stayed with those guys. Nothing against Christian, we just stayed with those guys,” Del Rosario said. “Christian was, you know, scoring, but yung mga guys na pinasok namin made the run.”
The Kings trailed by as many as 11 early in the fourth, but Tenorio and Co. brought the team back to within 81-75 with 4:31 to play.
But rookie big man Kiemark Carino hit a three-pointer from the top of the key and Juami Tiongson nailed a step-back jumper as the Dyip answered big time to hike the lead back 86-75 in the final 2:43.
Standhardinger actually led Barangay Ginebra with 21 points scored in just three quarters, but was part of the starting five that never returned to the game in the fourth together with Stanley Pringle, who ended up with two points.
“Hindi lang naman si Christian yung hindi na naglaro, even Stanley di na rin naipasok,” said Del Rosario.
“But when you get lifts from guys off the bench, you have to reward them also kasi maganda yung pinakita nila. So we stuck with those guys sa stretch na yan.”
C-Stan speaks up
Standhardinger already clarified he has no beef with the decision of the coaching staff to go with the group of Aguilar and Onwubere down the stretch.
“Sid and Jap, they played amazing,” said the veteran big man. “Coach Richard decided to go with Sidney and Japeth and they both had a great fourth quarter. It’s just unfortunate that we didn’t make it to the victory.”
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