PBA: Jamie Malonzo overcomes ‘tough’ times en route to career night

Ginebra Gin Kings’ Jamie Malonzo in the PBA Philippine Cup. –PBA IMAGESts

MANILA, Philippines—An emotional Jamie Malonzo appeared in front of the media after Ginebra’s 113-107 win over Rain or Shine in the PBA Philippine Cup.

However, his emotions were not of excitement.

Despite tallying a career-high 32 points, the athletic forward seemed to be choked up after the victory, saying that it’s “been tough” for the Gin Kings star after the 2025 Fiba Asia Cup Qualifiers.

READ: PBA player Jamie Malonzo apologizes after fistfight video goes viral

“It’s definitely been tough. It’s been a lot for me. [I give] credit to my team for holding me down and checking on me through that whole process. They had my back. I have to give credit to my team because it’s been tough,” said Malonzo at Araneta Coliseum on Friday.

@inquirersports #JamieMalonzo talks about getting his career-high 32 points in #Ginebra’s win over #RainOrShine in the #PBA #PhilippineCup despite the noise surrounding him. #fyp #tiktokph #sports #basketball ♬ original sound – INQUIRER Sports

“I’ve been going through a lot and fighting through a lot, it hasn’t been easy. It’s difficult to cancel out the noise, go out there, perform and focus on the game. I’m just happy that I did what I did tonight and moved forward.”

While he didn’t address is directly, Malonzo was involved in a fiasco that unfolded after Gilas Pilipinas’ 106-53 victory over Chinese Taipei a few days ago.

READ: PBA: Jamie Malonzo pours 32 as Ginebra defeats Rain or Shine

The La Salle product sat out that game at Philsports Arena and was nowhere in sight. Coach Tim Cone got to the post-game conference to explain that Malonzo was out due to gastroenteritis.

But a few minutes after the post-game scrum, a video surfaced online that showed Malonzo at the losing end of a fistfight. PBA commissioner Willie Marcial stated that the Ginebra ace player had apologized for the mishap.

Despite all the noise that surrounded the former Northport swingman, Malonzo still showed up big for Cone to open their bid for the conference’s title.

SCHEDULE: 2024 PBA Philippine Cup

“I think he’s found a sanctuary in practice and games and I think he’s back to his comfort zone with his teammates so I think that’s really the key issue for him and it showed tonight in his game that he can put everything behind and just move forward,” said the Gin Kings coach.

“We’re actually really proud of Jamie in what he did, how he did it and how he came back to practice and let his game do the talking,” he added.