Japeth Aguilar came through with a double-double as Ginebra carved out its first win at the expense of TNT in the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup.
Japeth Aguilar grimaced in pain after his hand got smacked in the middle of practice days ago.
It was the same left hand that had undergone surgery in the offseason following Aguilar’s Gilas Pilipinas duty in the FIBA Asia Cup in Saudi Arabia.
But against TNT Wednesday night, Oct. 15, Aguilar was back in his element, steering Ginebra to a 92-77 win in the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup.
[RELATED STORY: Ginebra mauls TNT for first PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup win]
He wound up with a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds as the Gin Kings levelled their record after their loss to Magnolia in the opener.
Aguilar, though, admitted that he is not yet at full strength.
“Ang mahirap lang sa surgery ko, time 'yong nasa equation. Kailangan ko ng time para mag-heal 'yong surgery,” Aguilar said.
Gin Kings need time to jell
Aguilar headed to practice knowing that Ginebra needed time to build its chemistry.
“Nagkaroon ako ng opportunity this week to really practice with the team. In this system, kailangan talaga namin ng practice time together,” Aguilar said.
“So, as much as possible, I wanted to be with the guys in practice because dini-develop pa naming ang synergy naming first group, our chemistry. Nagkaroon na ako ng chance to play with it and to adjust.”
[RELATED STORY: Slaughter sorry for past miscommunications that ‘caused offense' to PBA]
Troy Rosario is a force below the post for Ginebra Wednesday, Oct. 15. | Photo: RM Chua/One Sports
If Wednesday’s game was any indication, it appeared that the Gin Kings have gotten the hang of playing together again after having limited time to prepare for the season.
They did everything right from the get-go, blazing to a 33-16 start and even leading 40-16 midway through the second period.
RJ Abarrientos, also battling sickness, churned out 14 points, while Troy Rosario produced a double-double of 13 points and the same number of rebounds.
Scottie Thompson atoned for a scoreless outing against the Hotshots, finishing with 10 points he topped with five rebounds, nine assists and a steal.
TNT did threaten to turn the tide behind Simon Enciso, who almost single-handedly carried the team after dropping all his 17 points in the fourth period.]
He made five three-pointers in the said canto, the first three of which allowed TNT to trim the gap to 11, 76-65, with still over eight minutes left to play.
But the Gin Kings were quick to restore order, with Japeth Aguilar scoring four points in an unanswered 6-0 run.
Ginebra vs TNT Scores:
GINEBRA 92 – J.Aguilar 17, Abarrientos 14, Rosario 13, Thompson 10, Holt 10, Torres 10, Gray 8, Estil 5, David 3, Pinto 0, Cu 0
TNT 77 – Enciso 17, Ferrer 11, Pogoy 9, Williams 8, Galinato 8, Khobuntin 7, Oftana 6, Ganuelas-Rosser 5, Nambatac 3, Hill 2, Heading 1, Jalalon 0, Aurin 0
Quarterscores : 33-16, 45-30, 68-48, 92-77
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Like most sportswriters, Jan Ballesteros once dreamed of becoming a professional hooper. But he learned the hard way that it’s not for everyone.
He continues to be involved in the sport he loves, but this time as a member of the PBA Press Corps. Aside from primarily covering the PBA, he is also assigned to cover Gilas Pilipinas.