THE old reliables of Barangay Ginebra are proving they can still keep up with the young guns.
While the spotlight was on LA Tenorio for providing an early spark as surprise starter, Joe Devance continued to play quality minutes for a depleted frontcourt, as he helped the Gin Kings score an 85-73 win over TNT in Game Three of the PBA 49th Season Governors’ Cup Finals on Friday.
READ: Why Tim Cone decided to bring in LA Tenorio as Game 3 starter
The 42-year-old big man, who came out of retirement just a little over month ago, saw his first action in these finals, playing almost 16 minutes as the primary backup for Japeth Aguilar.
Recovering from initially a knee cartilage issue, then a bone bruise from the semifinals, Devance contributed two points on 1-of-3 shooting, two assists, one rebound, and one steal to help Geinbra pull a game back after back-to-back losses in the best-of-seven series.
“I’m here to help the team, so whatever way I can help, that’s what I’m here for,” the high-IQ lefty slotman said. “I was able to give Japeth some rest.”
The presence of Devance came at an opportune time, as Aguilar revealed playing through postnasal drip that gave him trouble breathing for almost 35 minutes of play, even asking to be subbed out at a crucial juncture early in the fourth quarter, before returning two minutes later.
When the Gin Kings were already up by eight points with less than three minutes to go, Devance subbed in for Aguilar for good.
“I just came with energy today,” Devance said. “That was my mindset: just come with energy, play defense, and whatever happens, happens. So it was good. I feel like I rubbed off on the team a little bit, so we’ll see what happens.”
“Talk ‘N Text is playing great basketball,” he added. “Their defense is really, really good. Their offense is flowing, so we’re just trying to find ways to grind out these wins.”
“I’m not going to lie; I was a bit tired, too, but I’m going to have better wind next game, so let’s see what happens,” he continued.
Energy for the energy guy
Asked how tired he was, Devance, still probably charged with adrenaline, changed his tone.
“Right now, I’m not going to lie: I’m ready to go,” the 12-time champion beamed. “I’m still hyped. But I have no excuses. I don’t care about (anything). I’m fighting until the end, so I’m ready to go. I’m not tired.”
Devance, though, feels the momentum remains with the Tropang Giga ahead of Game Four on Sunday at the Big Dome.
“We just got a win. We found a way to win. It’s still 2-1. We’re still down, so let’s see what happens. If we win next game, then we can talk about shifting of the momentum. But we’ve done nothing yet,” he said.
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