PBA: RJ Abarrientos delivers as Ginebra's 'starter off the bench'

PBA: RJ Abarrientos delivers for Ginebra as ‘starter off the bench’

/ 11:42 PM October 18, 2024

Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings rookie guard RJ Abarrientos during the PBA Governors' Cup semifinals Game 5 against San Miguel Beermen.

Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings rookie guard RJ Abarrientos during the PBA Governors’ Cup semifinals Game 5 against San Miguel Beermen. – PBA Images

MANILA, Philippines—Ginebra guard RJ Abarrientos finished Game 5 with the best offensive game of his young PBA career on Wednesday night.

But what only mattered for the rookie was the pivotal win that came along with his numbers.

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“First of all, I wasn’t even thinking much about it today,” said Abarrientos after the Gin Kings’ 121-92 win that put them on the cusp of a spot in the Governors’ Cup finals.

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READ: PBA: Ginebra crushes San Miguel in Game 5 to close in on Finals berth

“I just stuck with the system, I wasn’t forcing my shots and I just went with the flow on both offense and defense. I’m just doing my part off the bench.”

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Abarrientos finished with 28 points–his PBA best–along with three rebounds and two assists and he did it all while coming off the bench.

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Being part of the second unit, though, is something that  Abarrientos is embracing.

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“We’re all good at scoring in this position [point guards] but for me, as a bench player, that’s what I see where we lack, in bench scoring. I think that’s what I need to learn now. I’m very thankful that I have my coaches’ trust to play,” he said.

READ: PBA: RJ Abarrientos showcases resilience in leading Ginebra

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While Abarrientos kept reiterating his label as a “bench player,” coach Tim Cone said he’s more than just that.

“He’s a starter off the bench,” clarified Cone, who steered the Gin Kings to a 3-2 lead over the Beermen.

“He keeps calling himself a ‘bench player,’ but he’s a starter off the bench and there’s no doubt about it. It’s going to stay that way and he’s going to be a starter for years and years and years,” added the top tactician.

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Abarrientos and the Gin Kings look to close out the semis series on Wednesday when they face San Miguel Beer in Game 6 at Araneta Coliseum.

TAGS: Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings, PBA Governors' Cup, RJ Abarrientos

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