Jayson David made a splash in his return to Ginebra’s active lineup in the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup.
Reactivated Jayson David knocked down a triple off a Maverick Ahanmisi assist to end a dominant opening salvo for Ginebra.
That was the Gin Kings’ eighth triple in the first 12 minutes of action that set the tone for their 131-106 trouncing of NorthPort in the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup Wednesday night, April 30.
Activated on Tuesday, April 29, in lieu of veteran LA Tenorio, David made waves right away and wound up with 25 points on a perfect 4-of-4 from the three-point line. In all, he went 8-for-9 from the field.
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The 20th overall pick by Ginebra in the 2022 Draft also had nine rebounds, three assists and two steals as the Gin Kings bounced back for a 2-1 slate.
Shelved for quite a while now, the 28-year-old said he just saw to it that he would be ready in the event his number is called.
“Mindset ko lang is maging ready lagi, ma-lineup man o hindi. Iniisip ko lagi na mag-ready lang dahil baka kailanganin ako ng team,” said David after the match at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig.
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Equally impressive was RJ Abarrientos, who posted 27 points on six triples. He also had eight assists and three steals.
Stephen Holt added 17 points, including 11 in the 40-23 opening quarter that broke the game wide open. Japeth Aguilar and Troy Rosario contributed 15 points and six rebounds each.
“We did come out with really good focus. That’s something we’re always trying to do,” said Ginebra coach Tim Cone.
William Navarro saw his 19-point, seven-rebound outing go for naught as the Batang Pier dropped a third straight game for a 1-3 tally.
Sidney Onwubere submitted 17 points and four rebounds, while Avan Nava scored 14.
Ginebra vs NorthPort Scores:
GINEBRA 131– Abarrientos 27, David 25, Holt 17, J.Aguilar 15, Rosario 15, Malonzo 14, Ahanmisi 7, Cu 6, Pinto 2, Thompson 2, Mariano 1, Adamos 0, Pessumal 0, R.Aguilar 0.
NORTHPORT 106 – Navarro 19, Onwubere 17, Nava 14, Jalalon 11, Munzon 10, Flores 10, Taha 8, Bulanadi 8, Cuntapay 3, Kwekuteye 2, Miranda 2, Nelle 2, Yu 0.
Quarterscores: 40-24, 70-43, 95-72, 131-106.