SMART CLARK GIGA CITY – It was easily the best game of Japeth Aguilar in the 2020 PBA Philippine Cup, and it came at the most opportune time.
With his Barangay Ginebra owning a commanding 3-1 lead over TNT in the best-of-seven series, the athletic 6-foot-9 forward made it known that he doesn’t want the titular bout to go to another game with the way he delivered.
Aggressive all throughout, Aguilar made 32 points on a 66-percent clip from the floor. He also had nine rebounds, three steals, and two assists to lead the Gin Kings in finishing off the Tropang Giga, 82-78, in Game Five Wednesday night.
The 2019 Governors’ Cup Finals Most Valuable Player now has six PBA championships to his name following the victory, which ended the storied franchise’s 13-year title drought in the import-less conference.
It definitely couldn’t get any better for the 33-year-old, who actually had to overcome personal struggles entering the bubble and had to work his way back into his old form during the course of the unique season.
Aguilar, though, is simply glad to have won the crown especially against an injury-riddled yet gritty TNT crew that imposed lots of challenges not just in Game Five per se, but the rest of the series as well.
“Just very happy na we did it,” the 11-year pro expressed moments after the match at the SMART 5G-powered AUF Sports and Cultural Center.
“I wanna give credit to Talk N Text sa paglaban nila. Alam namin na they’re down in terms of injuries pero ready talaga sila. Lumaban sila hanggang huli,” added Aguilar, who won his first title with TNT in the 2012 Philippine Cup.
Aguilar’s big game came at a night where top guards LA Tenorio and Stanley Pringle were quiet, although the latter was able to make buckets when it mattered the most to help Ginebra repel its foes.
Struggling to find the bottom of the net, Pringle hit back-to-back triples as he connived with Aguilar for a pivotal 10-0 run that flipped a five-point TNT lead to a 78-73 Ginebra advantage with 1:56 left in the game.
The former scoring champion finished with 13 points on 5-of-17 shooting, along with six assists and four rebounds in the triumph that gave him just his second PBA title in an on-going six-year journey in the PBA.
That championship feeling felt so sweet for Pringle but on top of it, he’s just blessed that everybody was able to play through the bubble safely.
“We’re just all blessed to get the chance to come together and have a successful conference. Just happy for that,” the 33-year-old from San Diego expressed.
“Thankful that everybody is safe.”
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