TIM Cone was more than happy to see one of Barangay Ginebra's best backcourt defenders back in harness for the PBA Commissioner's Cup semifinals.
The Kings welcomed back Nards Pinto into their active roster, and someone who Cone refers to as a Paul Lee stopper.
Pinto, 32, finally saw action in the team's emphatic 103-80 win in Game 3 in his first game back since going down with a Grade 2 ankle sprain just before the end of the eliminations.
Cone said Pinto was ready to play from the beginning, but with Lee playing limited minutes for being under the weather, the Ginebra coaching staff deemed it necessary just to play him during garbage time when the Kings were already up by as many as 21 points with four minutes left in the game played at the Philsports Arena.
Sponsored content: "There was an opportunity during the last three minutes of the game to get him (Pinto) out there to have a feel of the game, work out, and sweat a little bit, and maybe that will prepare him better heading into Game 4," said the Ginebra coach.
Until reporting sick for Game 3, Lee was going great guns for the Hotshots, averaging 22.5 points in the first two games of the semis, and delivered the game winning basket in the team's 96-95 squeaker in Game 2.
The Kings getting back in full force is a must, according to Cone, despite holding a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series and needing just one more win to advance in the finals.
As always, Magnolia remains a very dangerous opponent most especially if Lee will be back in good health for the next game on Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Sponsored content: That's when Pinto is most needed by the Kings, Cone stressed.
"He (Pinto) could be, if Paul Lee comes back for Game 4, he could be one of our primary stoppers on Paul Lee," said the champion coach. (RG)
