LA Tenorio's Impact on Ginebra: Making the Game Easier

While watching Game One of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup last Sunday, Jinno Rufino admitted asking himself this question: "How is LA dominating this game?"

Rufino was referring to the 36-year old extension of Coach Tim Cone on the basketball court: LA Tenorio.

In the 100-94 win of the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings over the TNT Tropang Giga, it was Japeth Aguilar who put up 25 points and 16 rebounds but Aaron Atayde and Jinno Rufino agreed that it was LA Tenorio who dictated the tempo in the crucial moments of the series opener as Atayde and Rufino returned on Tuesday for another episode of Jump Thru Hoops.

In 43 minutes, Tenorio had 12 points, 10 assists, and five rebounds. While he shot five for 12 from the field including a one for five shooting from the three-point line, it was Tinyente's ability to read the game was something that Rufino and Atayde couldn't help but point out. "Those assists were huge," Rufino referred to Tenorio's assist to Arvin Tolentino's made basket that forced overtime and two late assists both to Japeth Aguilar that helped put TNT away. "He just really dictated the tempo. He took over that game and I have to give props to him because he was phenomenal. As good as all of the Ginebra players, I was super impressed with how LA played in Game One," he added.

Talking about how Tenorio is making the game easier for his teammates, Atayde explained, "Every single assist that LA Tenorio had, he did so much work to make the basket (to score) so easy for everyone else. He was seeing the game before it was happening,"

In conclusion, Rufino simply said, "He read the game better than I've seen him do that in recent history,"

We're talking about a 36-year-old guard out of the Ateneo basketball program who hasn't missed a single game in his professional career. And he's someone who is still recovering from an emergency laparoscopic appendectomy prior to joining the PBA bubble in Clark.  Still taking over games and dictating the tempo at his age, LA Tenorio's impact on Ginebra's success not just in this championship series but also beyond, is immeasurable. 

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