Here are the players who made the biggest impact on April 24 and the stats to highlight their impact.
TOP PERFORMERS OF THE DAY:
Bol Manute Bol TNT C 37 PTS | 14 REB | 6 BLK | 71.8 FPS
Throughout this tournament, Bol has operated on a class of his own, producing numbers that no other player has come close to matching. Despite his struggles from three and at the line, where he’s shooting just 24.3% and 61.2%, respectively, Bol has continued to rack up points, reaching the 35-point mark for the sixth time, which is the most in the league. Defensively, he’s made a much bigger impact recently, posting at least six blocks three times over his last four games.
Robert Upshaw III BWB C 43 PTS | 14 REB | 2 AST | 59.8 FPS
Offensively, Upshaw is one of the most dominant players in the league. He proved that again with today’s performance, going 10-for-14 inside the arc and hitting three four-pointers to lead both teams in scoring while also setting a new conference-high. He now ranks third in the league in scoring, averaging 33.4 points per game on 66.3% shooting on two-pointers.
Phoenix Cardena Shackelford MBK SG 31 PTS | 13 REB | 2 AST | 48.6 FPS
Shackelford puts on a show on the offensive end. He was excellent on all levels, especially from two, where he converted 9-of-13 attempts to finish as the game’s second-leading scorer and also record his best scoring game of the conference. While he’s maintained a high floor throughout the tournament, his output in his last two outings has been more impressive.
Damian Chongqui MBK PG 29 PTS | 5 REB | 8 AST | 46.0 FPS
The Knights’ guard finished with a new scoring best today by hitting three three-pointers and converting 8-of-10 from the line. He’s equally impressive as a playmaker, maintaining an average of 8.0 assists per game, which is the second highest in the league.
Tony Mitchell Jr. MBK C 19 PTS | 17 REB | 1 BLK | 45.9 FPS
It wasn’t his most efficient performance, but Mitchell still delivered a solid game overall. Through nine games in the tournament, he’s averaged 20.0 points on 67.8% shooting from two, along with 11.9 rebounds.
Sedrick Barefield BWB SG 25 PTS | 3 REB | 12 AST | 43.6 FPS
The franchise star has been locked in offensively in recent games, posting his fourth 25-point performance in five outings on strong percentages. He’s also stood out as a playmaker today, leading all players while also finishing with a conference-best mark.
Justin Brownlee GIN SF 21 PTS | 9 REB | 5 AST | 41.3 FPS
Through seven games, the Kings’ resident import has been a steady threat for 30-point performances. While he didn’t reach that level offensively today, he made up for it with a well-rounded showing, grabbing at least nine rebounds for the fifth time in his last six games while recording his fourth 5-assist outing of the tournament.
Earl Scottie Thompson GIN SF 19 PTS | 9 REB | 7 AST | 40.3 FPS
Thompson was limited to a total of 16 points in the early part of the conference, but he has turned it around since, averaging 17.5 in his last four games. His two-point shooting has driven that improvement, finishing at an excellent 67.6% over that span.
Jordan Timothy Heading TNT SG 20 PTS | 8 REB | 1 STL | 34.1 FPS
For most of the tournament, Heading has struggled offensively. But he’s found his rhythm today, shooting efficiently from all ranges to finish as the team’s second leading scorer. This should help him build momentum in the coming games.
Jeth Troy Rosario GIN PF 17 PTS | 10 REB | 1 STL | 34.0 FPS
This was the fourth time this conference that Rosario has scored at least 10 points and the third time he has grabbed at least 10 rebounds. Though he hasn’t been very consistent, he remains a capable threat for these performances.
Stephen Jeffrey Holt GIN SG 13 PTS | 5 REB | 2 STL | 27.0 FPS
The swingman has been an important part of the team in their past campaigns, providing excellent two-way contributions. While he hasn’t been at that standard this conference, he’s remained productive as a scorer and should continue to contribute at this level or even more moving forward.
Henry Galinato Jr. TNT C 8 PTS | 7 REB | 1 AST | 17.9 FPS
Galinato made his presence felt with his superb play inside the paint. He was perfect from two, converting 4-for-4 while also grabbing a team-high offensive rebounds.
Kim Cyril Aurin TNT SF 7 PTS | 5 REB | 1 BLK | 17.5 FPS
This marked the most minutes the forward has played in the conference, and he made the most out of it, contributing positively across multiple areas.
Chon Pong Lao MBK SF 13 PTS | 1 REB | 1 TO | 13.2 FPS
Lao was back in the starting lineup today following a one-game absence. In six games this tournament, he’s seen considerable playing time, but his contributions have largely been centered on scoring.
Japeth Paul Aguilar GIN C 11 PTS | 3 REB | 2 TO | 12.6 FPS
Japeth was impactful through three quarters of play, particularly on offense, where he went 4-for-6 from two. But he was forced out of the game after taking a hard fall following a collision with Upshaw on a play at the rim early in the fourth.
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE DAY:
Rey Benedict Nambatac TNT PG 2 REB | 1 STL | 1 BLK | 8.9 FPS
It has been a very underwhelming conference for the veteran guard. After averaging just 7.3 points over eight games, Nambatac hit a new scoring low today, finishing scoreless on a dismal 0-for-5 shooting.
