STANLEY PRINGLE shot perfectly on the floor to power Barangay Ginebra San Miguel to a 117-103 win over TNT Tropang Giga on Friday and grabbed a 2-1 lead in Game 3 of their best-of-seven finals series of the Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.
The Gin Kings led by Jamie Malonzo and import Justin Brownlee ignited a 25-9 run to transform an 88-all deadlock to an insurmountable 113-97 edge under the three minutes remaining en route to sealing the victory.
But it was Pringle’s perfect night capped with 7-of-7 from the field highlighted by 6-of-6 attempts from beyond the arc for 22 points in Game 3 after a disastrous showing in a Game 2 beating from TNT, 82-95, where he only finished with five points on 2-of-7 shooting from the field.
“We shot the ball real well tonight from different angles led by Stanley [Pringle]. He got us ahead and kept us in the first half and hit big shots in the second half,” Ginebra coach Tim Cone said, who also praised the other players for stepping up and contributing big.
“But it was more of the job that the other guys knew and realized that they need to pick it up for Justin Brownlee. We can’t keep going to Justin, Justin, Justin all the time. Other guys have to contribute. Other guys have to be aggressive and take their shots,” he added.
Ginebra decimated TNT from the three-point zone with an all-time franchise 18-of-32 shooting record, while the Tropang Giga just registered 11-of-29. Their previous all-time record in three-point made was 16. The Gin Kings also tallied more assists than TNT, 27-18.
After scoring 12 points in Game 2, Brownlee regained his deadly scoring form with 29 points on 11-of-19 shooting from the field along with eight rebounds and five assists, while Malonzo racked up 22 of his 27 points in the second half in addition to his 10 rebounds.
Christian Standhardinger and Scottie Thompson tallied a double-double each with Standhardinger scoring 16 points and grabbing 10 rebounds while Thompson piled up 16 points and issued 10 assists.
Import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson led TNT with 32 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists while Mikey Williams added 19 points, but it was Calvin Oftana who struggled this time on a terrible 1-of-5 shooting from the field for three points.
Game 4 is set Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum.
