Here are the players who made the biggest impact on May 15 and the stats to prove it.
TOP PERFORMERS OF THE DAY:
Jaylen Rashawn Johnson ROS C 23 PTS | 12 REB | 5 AST | 48.9 FPS
Scoring-wise, this performance wasn’t as great as the previous one. Still, it was impressive, as he shot really well from all levels. Outside of steals, he has also maintained strong contributions across the board, all while committing just two turnovers—a big improvement after averaging 4.8 over the previous five games.
Joshua Andrei Caracut ROS PG 29 PTS | 6 REB | 5 AST | 44.7 FPS
In the elimination rounds, Caracut had averaged only 7 points. Today, however, he completely broke out, knocking down six three-pointers for his best game of the tournament. This is exactly the type of performance the team will need from him to get past Ginebra in the next round.
Earl Scottie Thompson GIN SF 16 PTS | 9 REB | 9 AST | 42.3 FPS
By any measure, Thompson was outstanding against Phoenix. Offensively, he finished as one of the team’s top scorers, shooting 7-for-9 from the field. In the secondary categories, he led the team in both rebounds and assists while committing just a single turnover.
Jaymar Perez SMB SG 19 PTS | 7 REB | 5 AST | 39.9 FPS
Though Perez had been less productive recently, he stepped it up when it mattered most, finishing with one of his best performances of the tournament. He was locked in today from the three-point area, hitting 4-of-6, though he was the exact opposite from four-point range, where he went 0-for-3. Still, he was mostly reliable offensively and he should continue to play at a high level in the future.
June Mar Fajardo SMB C 12 PTS | 12 REB | 2 BLK | 39.4 FPS
In terms of rebounding and defense, the nine-time MVP has been steady throughout the conference. However, he has struggled to do the same offensively. Even though he was effective today on two-pointers, he was limited to just eight attempts, which is one of his lowest totals in the conference. Regardless, it has still been an impressive conference for Fajardo, who has recorded 10 double-double performances, the most in the league.
Caelan Todd Tiongson ROS PF 23 PTS | 4 REB | 7 AST | 38.3 FPS
For the most part of the conference, Tiongson has struggled but he’s come alive at just the right time, averaging 20.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 6.5 assists over the last two games. He did most of his damage today at the three-point line, knocking down 7-of-12 attempts.
Justin Brownlee GIN SF 24 PTS | 5 REB | 5 AST | 36.5 FPS
This was another outstanding performance for the superstar import. As usual, he led the way offensively, scoring 13 points in the first quarter and finishing with a team-high in points on superb shooting from all ranges. He should be able to keep the momentum rolling in the semis against Rain or Shine. In the elimination rounds, he was a force against them, dropping 40 points with six three-pointers.
Adrian Clarence Nocum ROS SG 18 PTS | 6 AST | 2 STL | 33.4 FPS
In the early part of the conference, Nocum had been a force offensively, averaging close to 18 points in five games. Unfortunately, he has struggled to maintain that level since then. Today, however, he got some of his groove back, posting his best scoring game in his last five while adding a conference-high in assists.
Jhonard Clarito ROS PF 6 PTS | 7 REB | 3 STL | 28.4 FPS
Offensively, Clarito has been having some trouble lately, going 2-for-10 from the field and averaging just 3.0 points over the last three games. But he continues to find ways to help the team, like he did today, posting a team-high in steals while finishing second in rebounding.
Celedonio Trollano SMB SF 14 PTS | 11 REB | 27.2 FPS
The only issue for Trollano today was his three-point shooting, where he went just 1-for-5, but he more than made up for it in other categories. He was effective from two-point range, knocking down 4-of-9, while also making his presence felt on the boards, recording five offensive rebounds.
Rhon Jay Abarrientos GIN PG 16 PTS | 5 REB | 1 STL | 27.0 FPS
By his standards in the tournament, this was one of his quieter performances. Even so, he was still efficient, finishing 5-for-7 from the floor with only a single turnover to help Ginebra advance to the next round. Offensively, he’s been playing at a high level this conference, and that should only continue moving forward.
Christopher Ross SMB PG 7 PTS | 3 AST | 4 STL | 24.1 FPS
Despite the turnovers, this was still a great showing for Ross. Once again, he impacted in multiple ways while also being effective in scoring. Still, he made his biggest impact on defense, where he led all players in steals.
Ricci Paolo Rivero PHX SF 15 PTS | 8 REB | 2 TO | 22.6 FPS
Rivero was back in the lineup after being sidelined in the last two games due to a finger injury. However, he wasn’t at his usual level, finishing with a subpar overall performance. Offensively, he struggled to find his rhythm, shooting just 1-for-6 from deep while also missing all of his free-throw attempts. Despite a few down games, it has otherwise been an impressive conference for Rivero.
Nards Pinto GIN PG 7 PTS | 3 REB | 5 AST | 18.1 FPS
Pinto stepped up in a huge way on the offensive end. In scoring, he converted 5-of-6 from the line to match his conference-high. He’s just as impressive as a playmaker, finishing with his best assist output in the tournament.
Japeth Paul Aguilar GIN C 8 PTS | 5 REB | 1 BLK | 17.0 FPS
Though it has been a really underwhelming conference for Aguilar, he has remained an important contributor for Ginebra. He showed that again in today’s performance, going 4-for-8 on two-pointers while also posting one of his best rebounding outputs of the conference.
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE DAY:
Jason Perkins PHX PF 7 PTS | 1 REB | 1 AST | 9.7 FPS
In 10 games in this conference, Perkins has largely delivered, averaging 16.4 points on 60.3% shooting from two, along with 5.0 rebounds. However, he was well below that level today, shooting just 2-for-9 from the field and finishing with his least productive game of the tournament.
