Pringle, GlobalPort aim to sustain strong start

PBA IMAGES

GlobalPort may be on cloud nine after huge victories in its first two outings in the 2017 PBA Philippine Cup, but Stanley Pringle knows the true test are yet to come.

The 2015 Rookie of the Year warned his fellow Batang Pier to not be blinded by their recent success, especially after their 91-84 win over Star on Friday.

“We just need to stay focused,” Pringle said after pouring 24 points, three rebounds, and two assists in GlobalPort’s second straight triumph. “We’re just taking it game-by-game. We’re just putting ourselves in a better position for the playoffs.”

That laser-like focus was on display against the Hotshots, with Pringle firing 12 markers in the opening salvo to erect a commanding 29-8 first quarter lead.

The bearded guard attributed this blitz to the team’s warmup, saying, “In the Mahindra game, we came out good, but today, we had a better warmup. As soon as the game began, everybody was ready to run. We kept on pushing the ball early.”

That spelled doom for the Hotshots, who struggled to fightback and could only get to as close as nine early in the fourth before floundering in the end game.

It also helped that Terrence Romeo has been slowly unearthing his playmaking skills, with Pringle noting, “Terrence is a special player.”

“He can run the point and the two. If he gets the ball, I told him to run to the corner and I’ll be in the corner spreading the defense out. It definitely helps us out.”

Though GlobalPort is seeing a torrid run through its opening pair of games, Pringle is wary of its next opponents, especially with Alaska coming up in its schedule on Wednesday.

“We need to execute, for sure. We got to early starts on both of our games, but I doubt Alaska is going to let us have our early start. We’re pretty sure they’re going to slow us down early, so we got to focus on executing and keep on playing good defense,” he said.