MANILA, Philippines – Relatively silent for majority of the PBA Philippine Cup, Stanley Pringle made quite the noise just when Barangay Ginebra needed him the most.
Pringle fired a season-high 22 points on top of 6 rebounds as the Gin Kings clinched Game 1 of their best-of-seven semifinals against Meralco with a 92-88 win at the Mall of Asia Arena on Friday, May 17.
The former Best Player of the Conference poured 16 points in the second half, including a crucial bucket with 40 ticks left that kept the Bolts at bay and practically sealed the victory for his side.
“He is the kind of guy that can take over a game at any given moment. Tonight, he took over the game, especially in that third and fourth quarter, right when we really needed him,” said Ginebra head coach Tim Cone.
Pringle, a former scoring champion and a two-time Mythical First Team member, has seen a drop in his production over the past few conferences, perhaps owing to his history of injuries, or the fact that he is getting older.
It might also be because of the Gin Kings’ oozing firepower, with Scottie Thompson, Christian Standhardinger, Jamie Malonzo, Japeth Aguilar, and Maverick Ahanmisi getting a huge chunk of the offensive responsibilities.
The 37-year-old Pringle, in fact, averaged just 4.3 points in seven games prior to the semifinals.
But on Friday, Pringle showed he is still capable of running the show – and doing so efficiently – as he shot 9-of-13 (69%) from the field and 3-of-6 (50%) from beyond the arc.
“Honestly, we’re a deep team. There are going to be nights where I can come and be aggressive and score; there are going to be nights where somebody else will be able to do it. That is what makes us dangerous,” said Pringle.
“We’re an all-around team. You got to pick your poison with us.”
Ralph Cu also rose to the occasion in his first-ever semifinal appearance for Ginebra, knocking down six of his seven three-point attempts to finish with 18 points.
Aguilar tallied 17 points and 8 rebounds, Ahanmisi supplied 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists, while Standhardinger posted 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists.
Thompson added 5 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks in an all-around effort that allowed the Gin Kings to exact revenge after Meralco crushed them by 18 points in their elimination-round encounter.
“We knew we had to play at a higher level if we’re going to be successful against this team. I think that is the thing that motivated us the most. Guys came out, I thought, with really good focus,” said Cone.
Chris Newsome churned out 21 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 assists as he almost singlehandedly brought the Bolts back into the game after they got buried 79-89 inside the final two minutes.
Newsome scored 5 points, made a steal, and dished out an assist in a 7-2 blitz that pulled Meralco within 86-90 with a minute remaining.
But the Bolts’ comeback fell short as Pringle drained a floater to make it a six-point game.
Chris Banchero netted 15 points and 8 assists, while Allein Maliksi and Bong Quinto added 13 and 11 points, respectively, in the loss that ended their five-game winning streak.
Barangay Ginebra 92 – Pringle 22, Cu 18, J. Aguilar 17, Ahanmisi 15, Standhardinger 14, Thompson 5, Onwubere 1, Tenorio 0, Pinto 0.
Meralco 88 – Newsome 21, Banchero 15, Maliksi 13, Quinto 11, Hodge 10, Almazan 8, Bates 6, Caram 3, Pasaol 1, Mendoza 0, Torres 0, Pascual 0.
Quarters: 22-22, 40-41, 73-61, 92-88.
– Rappler.com
