SMART CLARK GIGA CITY – Slowly but surely, the PBA’s Iron Man is getting back in shape.
LA Tenorio played his best game in the Philippine Cup bubble Friday night, coming an assist short of a double-double in Barangay Ginebra’s 85-79 dismantling of TnT Tropang Giga at the Angeles University Foundation gym to seize the solo lead five days before the elimination ends.
The veteran guard scored 15 points, five rebounds, and nine assists while playing his longest action yet at 37 minutes as a starter a month after undergoing laparascopic surgery.
Tenorio admitted he’s now around 90 percent in full health, but nonetheless took the initiative to take charge for the Kings as he expected the Tropang Giga’s defense to collapse on Ginebra’s leading scorer Stanley Pringle.
"Ngayon going 90 percent (pa lang). Tinatantsa ko din na sakto sa playoffs na game shape (ko)," he said. "Ganun na yung mentality ko. I'm still trying my best to get back on track.
“Nagkaroon ako ng opportunity kanina kasi nakita ko rin na meron silang plano kay Stanley and nakita naman natin na hirap na hirap si Stanley, although Stanley is Stanley,” said the Ginebra playmaker.
Pringle still got his numbers with a game-high 28 points, but had to really earn everything the hard way.
No worry though as Iron Man came to the rescue.
“So I told him, ok let me orchestrate muna para makapahinga rin siya ng kaunti,” Tenorio added.
The win pushed the Kings in solo top spot with a 7-2 record and put them in a good position to target the no. 1 spot and a twice-to-beat edge against the eighth-seeded team heading to the playoffs that start next week.
For Tenorio, that suits well for him getting back in full game shape in time for the quarterfinals.”
“Hopefully this is the start na (makuha ko) yung game shape na sakto lang for the playoffs next week,” he said.
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