Malonzo: I’m just at 85 percent

Jamie Malonzo displayed impressive performance when he led Barangay Ginebra to a masterful 127-120 victory over NorthPort in Game 3 of their Philippine Basketball Association best-of-seven semifinals series last Sunday.

The former De La Salle University star provided the offensive spark, putting the Kings on the brink of sweeping the Batang Pier and marching to the best-of-seven finals series against the survivor in the other semifinal duel between TNT Tropang Giga and Rain or Shine.

Malonzo posted his best game since missing nearly a year due to calf injury, finishing with 25 points and eight rebounds for the Kings, who have posted a winning margin of 20.3 points in their three wins over the topseed Batang Pier in this semifinal encounter.

Malonzo was so impressive that he even put on an aerial show when he caught a lob pass from rookie RJ Abarrientos before knocking down a powerful two-handed dunk that sent the pro-Ginebra gallery into celebration.

Still, Malonzo asserted that he is not yet in peak condition.

“It feels great. I haven’t been dunking at all and I’m starting to feel my legs under me again,” he said after the game where they led by as many as 38 points.

“And yeah, it feels great to be able to finally get up in the air again and flush the ball.”

He said their coach, Tim Cone, assessed that his conditioning is just at “85 percent” since coming back from a lengthy absence from an injury that he sustained in April last year.

“Coach said 85 percent,” he said, flashing a smile before throwing a friendly stare at Cone.

“So, hopefully, somewhere around there. Trying to get to 90 soon, just keep trying to use these games to get as close as I can to my normal self, for sure.”

Import Justin Brownlee was also an offensive force after posting 22 points, eight rebounds and eight assists while Japeth Aguilar posted 17 points for the Kings, who erected a 24-point lead at halftime, 64-40. With that, Cone had the luxury of giving Malonzo, Abarrientos and the other bench players extended minutes on the floor to finish off the Batang Pier.

And they did that in impressive fashion.