Even when the chips were down, Stephen Holt stuck to what he could control—how hard he works and his approach to hoops.
The 34-year-old shooting guard was missing in action in Games 1 and 2 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals, playing big minutes but producing little results, at least on the stat sheet. In fact, quite a few Barangay Ginebra San Miguel fans appeared to have given up on Holt, with some calling for his benching and others left wondering if anything was wrong with him.
Holt Trusts the Process
Even with all the outside noise, Holt just trusted the process— and himself. Rather than change anything, he kept his confidence and continued with the work he has been doing all these years. A little pick-me-up from his Ginebra teammates helped, too.
“The biggest thing is just the mindset and the approach. You know, my work ethic didn’t change, my leadership didn’t change. And again, the guys rallied around me the past few days of practice and gave me confidence,” he said in the aftermath of Ginebra’s 116-102 victory over the TNT Tropang 5G in Game 3.
That support galvanized Holt’s confidence. And the former first overall pick repaid that trust in Game 3, exploding for 15 points in the first quarter to set the tone that ultimately led to Ginebra’s huge victory.
Taking Advantage of Opportunities
Holt’s 23-point explosion on Sunday was a far cry from Games 1 and 2, where he scored a measly 3 points combined.
But, what changed?
For Holt, it was all a matter of getting good looks—and then letting it fly.
“My confidence never dipped,” he stressed. “[It was] just a matter of trying to get more opportunities and get a little bit more looks. And I was able to knock down a bunch of shots for my team tonight and set the tone early…”
Holt set the tone for sure, and he Ginebra needed every bit of that white-hot start to fend off TNT’s last-ditch fight back.
So, expect the Tropa to take away those opportunities in Game 4. Ginebra, meanwhile, will look to spring Holt open more and more.
