By REYNALD MAGALLON
Christian Standhardinger was a dominant force inside the paint, dropping 33 points as Barangay Ginebra vented all of its frustration on Blackwater, 105-86, in the 2024 PBA Philippine Cup at the PhilSports Arena on Friday, April 12.
The Kings unloaded a blistering 15-4 run in the opening frame which set the tone to the convincing win that not only removed the bitter taste of their upset loss to the Terrafirma Dyip but also ended the team’s two-game slide.
Ginebra was only up by three, 12-9, before Standhardinger presided over the telling run that allowed the Kings to seize a double-digit advantage and never looked back from there.
Standhardinger preyed on the smaller Bossing frontline and only needed three quarters to reach his conference-high that also came with six rebounds and five assists.
The biggest improvement for the Kings, however, was the fluidity of the team on the offensive end – something that was sorely missing in their last two games.
The far better execution of Ginebra was largely due to the return of star guard Scottie Thompson who made immediate impact to his team with seven rebounds and eight assists although he was still getting his rhythm from the field with only four points to show.
Still, the impact of his return was greatly felt in the outputs of Maverick Ahanmisi and Ralph Cu who both chipped in 14 points while Jamie Malonzo contributed 11.
With the win, Ginebra closes in to a possible spot in the quarterfinals after hiking its record to 5-4 while Blackwater continues to free fall with its fourth straight loss after opening the conference with 3-0 slate.
Meanwhile,
Ken Tuffin provided the big hits down the stretch as Phoenix spoiled the career games of Justin Arana and Alec Stockton to keep Converge winless, 113-107.
Timely hits from the rookie kept the Fuel Masters afloat against the surging comeback from the FiberXers to come away with their only second win through six games.
Displaying poise beyond his years in the league, Tuffin actually took matters in his own hands and scored 10 straight points inside the final five minutes just exactly when Converge cut a once 15-point second half lead down to just three, 101-98.
Tuffin first converted on a layup before drilling a booming triple as a retaliation to a layup made by Converge in the possession prior. The Fil-Kiwi wingman didn’t stop there, scoring a fastbreak layup off an RJ Jazul steal before taking care of two more free throws.
As the dust settled, Phoenix already regained footing a 111-100 with 2:55 left – a lead that proved to be enough to withstand a desperate rally from the FiberXers in the end.
Tuffin finished with a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds while it was Jason Perkins who led the way in scoring for Phoenix with 26 points apart from 13 rebounds, four assists and a block.
The Fuel Masters also got a huge lift from another rookie in Ricci Rivero who also had a conference-high of 17 points.
