THE entire Barangay Ginebra team is rallying behind its acknowledged backcourt leader in this trying time for the proud franchise.
Sophomore wingman Chris Ellis said he and the Kings are all backing point guard LA Tenorio following criticisms hurled against him for the two botched plays he committed in the dying seconds of the Kings’ 76-79 loss to San Mig Coffee in Game 5 of the PLDT myDSL-PBA Philippine Cup semifinals Saturday night.
The defeat moved the Kings on the verge of being eliminated in the season-opening tournament.
“We all trust what he does on the court. He’s our captain,” said Ellis to Spin.ph.
`El Kapitan' came under fire after missing two crucial attempts in the final 13 seconds of the match, including a hurried basket that could have tied the game as the Kings trailed, 78-76.
The veteran playmaker surprisingly also went on a coast-to-coast drive in Ginebra’s final play instead of going for a game-tying three-pointer with the score pegged at 79-76.
On top of that, Tenorio committed a conference-high six turnovers out of the Kings’ total of 24 for the game – also a team conference high.
Still, Ellis was there to comfort and help lift the spirit of his down teammate.
“I told him (Tenorio) it was a good take,” said the league’s reigning slam dunk champion, referring to Tenorio’s hard attempt at the basket.
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