SCOTTIE Thompson shook off his offensive struggles and came through in the clutch again, burying a key three-pointer to lift Barangay Ginebra to a 92-90 win over TNT on Wednesday night for a 2-0 lead in the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.
Thompson added another memorable moment to his young career when he sank a huge three-pointer with 30.5 seconds left – his first and only field goal of the game – that put Ginebra up, 87-85, after it trailed by as many as 15 points in Game Two.
The shot - reminiscent of Thompson's game-winner in Game Five of their semifinal series against Meralco - enabled Ginebra to steal the win and spoil a 38-point effort by RR Pogoy in the absence of Bobby Ray Parks due to a calf injury.
Things looked bleak at first for the Gin Kings with Stanley Pringle and Aljon Mariano being the only players producing on the offensive end for the team, and Thompson, Japeth Aguilar and LA Tenorio having an off-night.
Ironically, it was Tenorio who drove the final nail in the coffin with crucial free throws in the last minute of the game for Ginebra.
“It was certainly a struggle for us all game long,” said Ginebra coach Tim Cone. “I thought Talk ‘N Text dominated us for more than three quarters of the game and we were able to make a run in the end."
Pringle came away with 34 points, six rebounds, and eight assists while Mariano was a welcome sight as he scored 20 points - the fifth time he notched his career high - and nine rebounds to make up for the struggles of Ginebra's other stars.
Thompson, Aguilar, and Tenorio combined for only 14 points in the contest, with Tenorio’s five points in the match coming from free throws that sealed the win.
“We were saying even at halftime we haven’t played well collectively and individually. Scottie was struggling, LA was struggling, for a while Stanley was struggling but of course he exploded. Japeth was struggling so the whole first five really struggled coming out of the gate,” said Cone.
Ginebra made its move at the four-minute mark, shortly after Pogoy hit a three-pointer that put TNT ahead, 84-77.
Pogoy was feeling it from downtown, connecting on five including one that raised the Tropang Giga’s lead to 15 points, 54-39, the biggest in the game.
The scores:
Barangay Ginebra 92 – Pringle 34, Mariano 20, Dillinger 8, Chan 6, J. Aguilar 6, Tenorio 5, Tolentino 4, Devance 4, Thompson 3, Caperal 2.
TNT 90 – Pogoy 38, Enciso 15, Castro 13, Erram 11, Rosario 11, De Leon 2, Carey 0, Semerad 0, Montalbo 0, Washington 0.
Quarters: 21-17; 36-40; 68-70; 92-90.
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