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BATANGAS—Stanley Pringle debuted for Barangay Ginebra and the Gin Kings packed so much firepower that NLEX didn’t have an answer to.
With Justin Brownlee being his usual prolific self and the other Ginebra veterans doing their part, Pringle just made the Kings an even more fearsome unit, overcoming the Road Warriors, 100-85, for a second straight win and 4-3 overall.
NLEX remained at the tail of the 12-team field with a 1-7 record after trailing big early and never being in the contest.
Brownlee scored 37 points in 36 minutes, Pringle finished with 16 in his first game in weeks after he was on NorthPort’s injured list before being traded to Ginebra last week.
Poy Erram had 20 points and 14 rebounds for the Road Warriors, who drew 17 points and eight boards from import Tony Mitchell.
LA Tenorio and Greg Slaughter were the others who finished in twin digits for the defending champion Kings.
The addition of Pringle has certainly made Ginebra a team that can challenge powerhouse San Miguel Beer man-for-man.
Meanwhile, Rey Nambatac banked in the game-winning jumper as Rain or Shine squirmed past Columbian in overtime, 88-86, in the curtain raiser at a packed Batangas City Coliseum here.
“It’s nice to get a win over Columbian,” said Elasto Painters coach Caloy Garcia, who at the same time commended his charges for notching a victory that would somehow help erase the bitter taste of a 107-105 meltdown to NorthPort last Wednesday.
“We lost to them in the last four conferences, so I told the players that the only motivation they need is finally winning against [the Dyip],” he added.
Nambatac hitting the winning shot couldn’t be more fitting, as Garcia revealed to have given a dressing down prior to halftime for committing a similar turnover like the one that helped them lose to the Batang Pier.
“He made the right decisions and the right shot. We may have recovered now, but it only goes to show that it is difficult to play any team in this league,” said the Rain or Shine mentor, whose charges improved to 3-3.
Nambatac delivered 10 points and nine rebounds that helped preserve Denzel Bowles’ triple double of 29 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists.