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    Pinto, Pessumal solid vs Magnolia. Will it lead to more minutes?

    Will quality minutes vs Magnolia open door for Pinto?
    Oct 27, 2022
    Nards Pinto
    PHOTO: Jerome Ascano

    THOUGH they saw limited action in their previous games, Nards Pinto and Von Pessumal got special mentions from Barangay Ginebra coach Tim Cone after the 'Clasico' win over Magnolia in the 2022-23 PBA Commissioner’s Cup.

    Pinto saw action for a season-high 18 minutes on Sunday where he contributed two rebounds, two assists, and two steals, while Pessumal only had a point in five minutes after making only a free throw.

    Still, their presence in the game was felt, according to Cone.

    “I thought Von came out and gave us a really good lift,” said Cone, who noted the presence of Pessumal in the fourth quarter where Ginebra started its last pursuit of Magnolia after trailing by as many as 15 points.

    [READ: Cone careful not to get too high after Clasico win]

    The Gins won, 103-97, after outscoring the Hotshots, 30-14, in the final period.

    “He didn’t score. He missed his shots. He even missed his free throws which is uncharacteristic in him. But he really let a lot of energy,” said Cone of Pessumal, who have played in all five games thus far with Ginebra this conference.

    While Pessumal has been on the floor each game, Pinto has only played in two games before the Magnolia match-up, in contrast to the Philippine Cup where he saw action in all 14 games.

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      Minutes have been hard to come by for Pinto and one of the reasons could be due to the arrival of Jamie Malonzo, who has brought athleticism to the Ginebra squad since being acquired in a trade with NorthPort.

      For the Hotshots game, Pinto was the perfect guy to be out in the fourth quarter.

      “We felt that Nards was a good match-up to Jio, Mark, and Paul Lee,” said Cone. “He played those guys tough in the past and he has that same toughness and physicality that those guys play with. We felt like he was a good match-up out there both defensively and offensively.”

      Von Pessumal

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      “He came early to the game and he performed right away and just earned his minutes,” added Cone.

      Will the play of Pinto and Pessumal led to more minutes in the next games of Ginebra? We’ll see.

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      PHOTO: Jerome Ascano
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