Video by Mark Giongco/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — The smallest player on the court made the biggest impact on Sunday night.
Barangay Ginebra guard Emman Monfort, who looks shorter than his listed height at 5-foot-6, stood tall for the Kings in a much-needed win over defending champion Purefoods with stat-stuffing numbers that even players bigger than him couldn’t even do.
Monfort had his fingerprints all over Ginebra’s third win in the 2015 PBA Commissioner’s Cup with nine points, seven rebounds, five assists, three steals and zero turnovers in 30 minutes.
“It’s just helping the team to win,” said the former Ateneo guard following his team’s 96-87 win. “I just want to win and giving my all.”
The 25-year-old Monfort was hardly used last conference but is now getting the minutes under returning coach Ato Agustin. He made his third start this conference and logged a season-high 30 minutes.
“I just wanna repay what coach gave me,” he said. “I also want him to see that he can trust me and I just want my teammates to be happy and come out with a win.”
“I want to help them. We’re family. So if we win, we win together. If we lose, we lose together. This is one family, this is Ginebra family,” he added.
Monfort started alongside Ginebra’s long-tme leader Mark Caguioa and finished the game with Kings chief playmaker LA Tenorio, who came off the bench.
Tenorio said he’s comfortable with Monfort joining him on the floor and he hopes Sunday night is something they can build on in the coming games.
“Actually, that’s what we want to play at the same time because we understand each other’s game,” Tenorio said. “Hopefully we’ll be able to build on that.”
Ginebra has one of the most loaded backcourts in the league and Monfort saw majority of last conference sitting on the bench. But he doesn’t see other guards in his team as players who get a chunk of his minutes.
“They are my teammates so we help each other for us to win.”
Monfort went 4-of-7 from the field but he said he didn’t get into the flow of the game by making his shots but rather from his energy plays that rubbed off on his teammates.
“It was my hustle plays, not making the shots. The hustle plays and the energy that I provide. Roles are needed in a team game and my role is to give energy and hustle for the team.”
Despite having his best game this season, Monfort isn’t expecting to have the same amount of minutes in the next several games and instead, offered what the Kings can always expect from him.
“I’m just ready. It’s about being ready and grabbing the opportunity.”