Scottie Thompson is now in rarefied air.
Banged up and all, Thompson delivered the goods for Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in Game 7, putting up 19 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 steals in yet another vintage performance in a big game. Thanks in part to this all-around brilliance, and some tough defense to boot, Ginebra finally broke through against the TNT Tropang 5G, authoring a come-from-behind 88-76 victory to win the PBA Commissioner’s Cup crown and seal the 16th title overall for the franchise.
“Well, una-una, wala akong masabi. Just thank you, Lord. And I just want to celebrate this one. Wala talaga akong masabi. Just thankful sa nangyari ngayon sa lahat sa amin,” Thompson said in the post-game press conference immediately after Game 7 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Scottie Thompson Does It All—Again
Crucially, Scottie Thompson came to Game 7 in a massive slump, averaging just 4.3 points in Games 4 through 6. He did add 6.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists, but his presence was hardly felt as he struggled offensively and usually dealt with foul trouble.
But, for all the marbles, Scottie Thompson flashed his MVP form again, even as he suffered a gash below his left eye after getting hit by Kelly Williams in the very first minute of Game 7. Wounded, the 10-year veteran came alive in the most important game of the tournament and did damage in every imaginable way. And all that, according to Thompson, was simply because he played aggressively.
“Gusto ko lang naman is makuha tong panalong to, makatulong sa team, whatever it takes. It’s not about [being] aggressive sa offense. I think [being] aggressive is total effort sa lahat ng bagay,” he said. “So, ‘yun lang. Thank God na nakuha namin yung championship.”
He was aggressive, all right, and now Ginebra is a champion for the 16th time overall. As for Scottie Thompson, he is now part of a select group of players who have won PBA Finals MVP at least three times, joining June Mar Fajardo (five times), Danny Seigle (four times), and LA Tenorio (four times), among others.
