Ginebra veteran Tenorio repays Cone’s trust with series-extending clutch shot

MANILA, Philippines — In what many would call "magic", Barangay Ginebra Kings rallied from 16 points last Sunday, July 6, to force a Game 7 in their PBA Philippine Cup semifinals series against San Miguel — led by none other than their longtime leader LA Tenorio.

Although he may not always see action, this did not stop Tenorio from continuing to add to his legacy as one of the most storied legends in the PBA.

The floor general was inserted to provide Ginebra with stability while guards Scottie Thompson and RJ Abarientos were resting. However, Tenorio’s ability to make crucial plays during their comeback attempt extended his minutes on the floor.

“We turned to our veteran, our leader, and he made the big plays down the stretch. That is something we haven’t been able to do in this series,” said Cone after their 88-87 victory over San Miguel in Game 6.

“We’re grasping for straws. We were originally going to take LA out. But he made a 3, and then another play and it was like we can’t take him out at this point,” he added.

Cone’s decision paid off as Tenorio delivered a vintage performance with 11 points, two rebounds and two assists. The biggest play came with two seconds remaining on the clock as Tenorio nailed a go-ahead 3-pointer to put Ginebra up 88-87, eventually saving them from elimination.

For Tenorio, he was laser-focused on doing what he can to keep the team alive in the conference — a role that he has taken full responsibility of regardless of the minutes given to him.

“Every time I step on the court, I’ll try to make something happen. As the leader of the team, I really need to be on point in everything that I do. It does not matter if it’s two minutes, three minutes, I have to be a role model to them. So for this game, I was really ready to not go home and have a vacation,” he said.

Tenorio’s heroics was another manifestation of the Gin Kings’ “Never Say Die” attitude, which has given Ginebra two come-from-behind victories in the series.

The Gin Kings will look to ride off this performance in Game 7 on Wednesday, 7:30 p.m, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. — Ravi Tan, intern