By MARK REY MONTEJO
Jamie Malonzo returned with vengeance in the aftermath of an ugly fistfight that caught him unwanted attention more than a week ago, scoring a career-high 32 points to power Barangay Ginebra past Rain or Shine, 113-107, in the 2024 PBA Philippine Cup on Friday, March 8, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Malonzo let his brilliant shooting display brush off the stigma of the ordeal, getting himself into the groove early on with 15 big points in the first quarter and capping the night with five booming triples that were as valuable with his eight rebounds and four blocks to gift the Kings a fitting debut in the conference.
Christian Standhardinger scattered 18 points, 13 rebounds and six assists while Maverick Ahamnisi almost had a triple-double of 18 points, nine rebounds and nine assists which filled the void in the absence of star guard Scottie Thompson who is suffering from a back injury.
Despite Ginebra riding a comfortable lead in the first three quarters, the Elasto Painters did not back down easily as young guns Gian Mamuyac, Andrei Caracut, Adrian Nocum and Anton Assistio connived for a last push to cut the deficit to just six, 91-97, in the opening minutes of the fourth period.
Meantime,
Rookies Cade Flores and Xavier Lucero carried the offensive load while Fran Yu knocked down the finishing blows as NorthPort nipped the gritty Phoenix side, 124-120.
Coming off the bench, Flores led the assault for the Batang Pier as he scored 10 of his 21 points in the payoff period while Lucero and Yu drilled crucial baskets down the stretch to deny the last-ditch effort from Fuel Masters stalwart Jason Perkins and take their second straight win
NorthPort head coach Bonnie Tan lauded his second unit for stepping up and noted how his wards were able to show poise despite their young PBA careers.
“Like what I’ve said to my players, it’s how you finish the game, and again the second unit it’s a very crucial unit for a very young NorthPort team and we’re still looking for our identity,” said Tan.
“We’re happy on Xavier (Lucero) delivered off the bench, last game kasi meron syang jetlag, at least nakarecover [sya ngayon],” he added.
