GINEBRA rookie Ralph Cu shot the lights out of the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila last Sunday night and, in typical Kings fashion, shone in a never-say-die game.
“We were down 10 at halftime and they came out and really got locked in defensively,” Ginebra coach Tim Cone said. “We just had an unbelievable game by Ralph that kept us close.
“We talked about having to grind that win heading into the playoffs and I thought they did a good job of grinding it out,” he added.
Cone spoke after his charges waylaid the NorthPort Batang Pier 95-88 for their second straight win and gained solo third in the PBA Philippine Cup.
The pro league’s winningest tactician gushed about Cu’s sterling effort–an assist shy of a triple-double with 24 points, 10 rebounds and nine dimes for the Kings.
“Is it a surprise that he is playing this well? Certainly. Playing this well (is surprising) but we expected him to play well,” Cone said of the former La Salle player tabbed 23rd overall in the last draft. “He started our games. It’s not like he hasn’t started a game and played. I think he started four or five of our nine games, so we expected him to play well.
“He doesn’t do anything in the game that he doesn’t do in practice, put it that way. He practices like he plays so I don’t think the team, the players themselves are not that surprised.”
The 6-foot-4 Cu said he is simply taking advantage of the chances given to him by Cone.
“I’m just trying to make the most out of the opportunity na ibinibigay sa akin ni coach Tim and the coaches,” Cu said.
“Gusto rin naming manalo kasi iyong standings, medyo dikit-dikit. Gusto naming magkaroon ng kaunting separation.”
The Kings already had their eyes laid on Cu after he suited up for them in the On Tour tilt and 3×3 tourneys.
“We do know a lot about him. He played in our PBA on Tour team, and he played in our 3×3 squad, so the coaches were really excited about him,” Cone said. “It wasn’t a pick like we were doing this because he played for our On Tour team. We were sitting on pins and needles hoping we could get him into the second round and no one else drafts him and no one else knew him like we did.
“This triple-double, these are big numbers for anybody so he just kinda announced himself to the league and next time out they’ll be a little bit conscious of him.”
Christian Standhardinger showed the way for Ginebra with game-highs of 25 markers, 17 boards and five feeds, while Jamie Malonzo added 14 points, six caroms, and four assists.
Maverick Ahanmisi and former MVP Scottie Thompson also had 13 and 10, respectively, as the Kings scored a fitting follow-up to a 105-86 whipping of the Blackwater Bossing last Friday and rose to 5-3.
NorthPort absorbed its second loss in a row, counting a 97-194 setback to Magnolia six days ago and slipped to 4-3 in a tie with TNT for fifth.
Dampening Ginebra’s triumph was a late-game injury suffered by Malonzo that worried Cone.
“It looks like a calf or an Achilles issue. Not sure, one or the other. I’m not a doctor so I don’t want to make a prognosis,” Cone said.
“At this point, he’s going to be out at least a few days. Hopefully, it doesn’t stretch into weeks or months. We can’t afford to lose him.”
