Jamie Malonzo’s 25-point, 8-rebound outing in Game 3 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semis was a timely reminder of what Barangay Ginebra San Miguel missed for nearly a year. Yet it might also be a portent of things to come for the 6-foot-7 swingman, whom coach Tim Cone described as being 85% back to his old form.
That means Malonzo is bound to get better—and that’s definitely great news for Ginebra. But first things first, the former DLSU Green Archer is just grateful he’s back and playing again.
“To be honest it’s hard to come up with the words of how thankful I am to being back… When I think about my teammates’ support, the coaches’ support, [and] of course the management as well. They’ve been by my side the whole way… they make it easy for me day in and day out to get back to my normal self,” Malonzo told reporters after Ginebra’ Game 3 victory over the NorthPort Batang Pier.
Indeed, Malonzo is getting back to his normal self. In Game 3, he scored 16 points in the first half alone to lead Ginebra to a 64-40 advantage going into intermission. At one point, he scored 14 straight—nine on a troika of triples—to give Ginebra a 58-35 cushion in the second quarter.
Sky’s the Limit for Jamie Malonzo in Return
But again, Malonzo isn’t fully back just yet—or so Cone says. The Batang Pier might beg to differ as the former NorthPort swingman has played so well in these semis, putting up 18.6 points and 5.3 rebounds in three games. And he’s looking to play even better.
“Coach [Cone] said [I’m at] 85%, so hopefully somewhere around there. I’ll try to get to 90 soon,” Malonzo said. “[I’m] just keep trying to use these games to get as close as I can to my normal self.”
Malonzo’s Game 3 explosion, which he punctuated with a breakaway two-handed jam in the fourth quarter will surely nudge the 28-year-old Fil-Am closer to his target.
“It feels great,” he said of his dunk. “I haven’t been dunking at all and I’m starting to feel my legs under me again. It feels great to be able to finally get up in the air again and flush the ball.”
Yes, Jamie Malonzo did all that in Game 3. Apparently, he’s just getting warmed up.
