LA Tenorio. PBA IMAGE/ Nuki Sabio
MANILA, Philippines – LA Tenorio made sure Barangay Ginebra San Miguel wouldn’t have to wait long enough to get its first win in the 2013 PBA Governors’ Cup.
Tenorio, the Gin Kings chief playmaker, produced his best game yet to lead his team to a 98-85 victory over the Meralco Bolts and earn the Accel-PBA Press Corps Player of the Week (August 19 to 25).
The Gilas Pilipinas mainstay knocked in a career-high 34 points with seven rebounds and seven assists to boot.
“The team’s mindset was to get that first win. We know that the tournament is short and it would be difficult to get too deep. That’s my mindset,” said Tenorio in Filipino.
“I had been given the opportunity again to take charge of the game and it’s one of those games where the player takes it all the way once he’s on the groove,” Tenorio said of his performance highlighted by a 16-point third quarter.
But as good as his individual stats, Tenorio, the team player that he is, deflects the credit to his teammates with a little attribution to luck.
“Perhaps, there is an element of luck and with the support of my teammates also that’s why I’m able to do these things.”
The five-foot-nine Tenorio, who had nine points and 10 assists in a loss to Petron Blaze, also said that he and fellow national team player Japeth Aguilar have yet to get accustomed to Agustin’s system.
“Japeth and I have been practicing with the team for less than two weeks. We’re not used to the system and rules,” he said.
But despite being still in the process of learning the new system, it didn’t stand in Tenorio’s way to put on a shooting clinic with a perfect five-of-five line from long range en route to a near-flawless game missing only two of his 13 field goal attempts and committing just two turnovers in 35 minutes.
“LA is LA. And we know that he can explode anytime, especially when the team needs it,” said Agustin. “He was very aggressive and took care of the ball so well.”
“They told me at the half that I’m in charge of distribution and to be ready to play for 24 minutes in the second half. I am thankful for the trust (coaching staff),” said Tenorio, whose previous career-high was 33 points also against Meralco as a member of the Alaska Aces back in the 2011 Commissioner’s Cup.