Special night for LA Tenorio. PBA IMAGES
MANILA, Philippines—On the cusp of another historical feat, LA Tenorio needed just one quarter to reach a pair of milestones to add to his growing list of achievements.
Tenorio, Barangay Ginebra’s chief floor general, became just the seventh player in PBA history to hit at least 1,000 3-pointers and also the seventh player to have 800 steals.
“Another milestone. It just shows I’ve been in the league for quite a while. It’s an honor. I’m very honored and very blessed to be part of a group of players to achieve those milestones,” he said after Barangay Ginebra hung on to beat Blackwater, 101-93, in the 2019 Governors’ Cup Wednesday night.
“I don’t know what to say, but I’m thankful for all the blessings that come my way and for trust I got from all the teams that I played forever since I started playing in the PBA. They’re all part of my milestones,” he added. “I’m just very honored and thankful. I hope it doesn’t end here. Hopefully, I get to do more.”
Tenorio, who holds the league record for most consecutive games played which is now at 627, is still going strong at 35. Apart from the milestones, he also led the Gin Kings with a game-high 20 points that went with seven rebounds and five assists against the Elite.
With the victory, Ginebra, winners of four in a row, bolstered its top four bid after tying Meralco in third place at 5-2.
Tenorio, who is only the second active player behind James Yap with at least 1,000 triples and next to Chris Ross with at least 800 steals, said team defense has been the key to the Kings’ current surge.
“We picked up our defense after our loss against Phoenix and NLEX. We went to basics. Coach Tim (Cone) really taught us to go back to the basics and that’s the good thing that happened to us,” Tenorio, a four-time PBA champion and three-time Finals MVP, said.
“We’re picking up our defense and that’s really been our MO. That’s why we won the championships because of our defense.”