THE first two games of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup finals was the return of the league at the Mall of Asia Arena after 10 months.
For Stephen Holt, it was his first two games at the state-of-the-art venue for his entire career.
Back when he was still with Terrafirma, Holt didn’t get an opportunity to play at the Pasay venue since being drafted first in the Season 48 PBA draft.
READ: Big MOA Arena crowds a welcome sight amid lean PBA attendance
He was traded to Barangay Ginebra last July 2024, two months after the team's win over Meralco in Game 5 of the PBA Season 48 Philippine Cup semifinals, the last time the league played at the MOA before Games 1 and 2 of the Commissioner’s Cup finals.
Holt said he was fortunate to play his first two games at the Mall of Asia Arena with a lot of electricity thanks to the fans.
Game 1 saw 11,802 spectators, and Game 2 had 12,925 in which Barangay Ginebra won, 71-70, with Holt spearheading the defensive effort.
READ: Stephen Holt refuses to take credit for defense on RHJ in Game 2
“Game 1 was my first one,” said Holt. “I’m just trying to get used to the atmosphere. It was a great crowd, great environment. Shoutout to the PBA for hosting it for the first two games."
Game 3 moves to a smaller venue at the Philsports Arena but the energy is expected to be the same.
The 33-year-old Holt said he will also look to feed off the energy of the fans, which will definitely be pro-Ginebra.
“We feed off the crowd. Obviously, we made some mistakes defensively with our coverages, a couple of turnovers, but we endured and that's what it takes to win a championship,” said Holt.
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