NARDS Pinto was going great guns for Barangay Ginebra against Meralco on Wednesday night until suffering cramps early in the fourth quarter of their PBA Governors' Cup game.
No worries, though as rookie Jeremiah Gray was there and took over from where Pinto left off.
See Ginebra star LA Tenorio out for the season due to groin injury
Substituting for the hurting Pinto, Gray caught fire in the final 10 minutes and scored 11 of his 12 points during the stretch as the Kings overcame the Bolts, 112-107, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum for their second straight win.
The Fil-Am wingman shot 3-of-7 from the three-point range, all of them coming in the final quarter when the Kings turned things around to pull off the comeback win.
Gray also had four rebounds and two assists as Ginebra improved to a 5-2 record.
Not until Pinto went out limping due to cramps with 10:23 to play did Gray get back on the floor again.
Pinto didn’t return to the game again after scoring 12 points on 3-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc.
It was actually a blessing in disguise if one is to ask coach Tim Cone.
“It’s kind of a fortunate thing because he (Pinto) would have come in for Miah,” said the Ginebra coach.
“Maybe we would figure out a way to win in a different way,” added Cone. “But with him (Pinto) getting cramps, Miah’s minutes were extended. So it was like great coaching, right?.”
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
