Thompson return fuels Ginebra bid
Photograph courtesy of PBA SCOTTIE Thompson’s return has sparked Barangay Ginebra’s bid for a playoff bonus in the Commissioner’s Cup of the PBA.
Daily TribunePhotograph courtesy of PBA SCOTTIE Thompson’s return has sparked Barangay Ginebra’s bid for a playoff bonus in the Commissioner’s Cup of the PBA.
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel is back in the thick of things for a Top 4 finish in the Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner's Cup.
And the returning Scottie Thompson has something to do with that.
Since returning from active duty after recovering from a swollen knee injury, the former Most Valuable Player helped the Kings arrest a two-game skid with back-to-back victories over Meralco and TNT Tropang Giga.
In the two games he played, Thompson averaged all-around numbers of 16.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 7.0 assists and emerged as Best Player of the Game each time.
The impact which he brought upon his Ginebra return made the 30-year-old Thompson as the last PBA Press Corps-Pilipinas Live Player of the Week for the year 2023.
Terrence Romeo on account of his explosive Christmas Day performance for San Miguel, and Christian Standhardinger, who led the Ginebra locals in scoring and rebounding, crowded out Thompson for the weekly honor for the period 20 to 25 December.
Thompson immediately made his presence felt in his comeback game after a three-week absence, chipping 21 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists in a 110-96 win over Meralco.
Then on Christmas Day, he delivered 12 points but bombed away two crucial three pointers down the stretch for an 86-78 come-from-behind win over the Tropang Giga. For good measure, he also had seven rebounds and seven assists.
The win clinched a quarterfinals berth for Ginebra, which caught up with San Miguel at fourth place with a 6-3 record, still good enough to have a shot at a twice-to-beat advantage in the playoffs.