GREG Slaughter welcomed the extended playing time given him by coach Tim Cone in the game against TNT KaTropa on Sunday night, saying it was a perfect buildup for the playoffs of the PBA Governors Cup.
Slaughter played only his second game back from an ankle injury, but proved to be towering presence in the middle for the Kings as they showed the KaTropa the door, 112-93, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The seven-footer led all Ginebra locals with 25 points, four rebounds, and three assists and played a total of 26 minutes.
In the last two games since being reactivated, Slaughter averaged 22 minutes per game and submitting numbers of 18.0 points and 6.5 rebounds.
The work, according to the former Ateneo big man, was good enough to get him ready for the quarterfinals, where the top-seeded Kings will tangle with No. 8 NLEX Road Warriors.
“It’s good I got a little extra running there,” he said after the game at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. “It’s just good I could be aggressive inside, drew a lot of fouls. It was a real physical game, but it was nice to get that game prepare you for the playoffs. You know, the playoffs just takes another level of physicality.”
And it couldn’t get even tougher for Slaughter facing a Road Warriors team that has the likes of import Aaron Fuller, veterans Asi Taulava and JR Quinahan, and the bruising duo of Michael Miranda and Dave Marcelo manning the frontcourt.
“It’s going to be tough, they got coach Yeng, they got some big bigs in there,” said the Ginebra standout. “They’re a dangerous team. So it’s a quick turnaround (for us going to the playoffs).it’s something we can’t take lightly.”
As the No. 1 seeds, the Kings enjoy a twice-to-beat advantage over the Road Warriors, who they routed 106-92, in their only meeting during the eliminations last Oct. 5.
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