Barangay Ginebra head coach Tim Cone praised veteran center Japeth Aguilar for his resilient performance in the Gin Kings' 109-101 victory over the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters on Friday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The win tied the best-of-seven PBA Commissioner's Cup semifinals series at 1-1.
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Aguilar returned after being hospitalized for nearly a week due to a lung issue at the end of the elimination round.
He started the game and recorded a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds in 24 minutes.
Cone acknowledged the difficulty of returning to high-level competition directly from the hospital.
“He’s not quite in shape that he used to be in, he’s still feeling his way back,” Cone said.
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“Being in the hospital for six or seven days and coming back to play some high-level basketball is really quite difficult but he fought his way through,” he added.
To manage Aguilar's limited minutes, the coaching staff relied on Troy Rosario off the bench.
Rosario contributed 11 points, four rebounds, three assists, and one steal in 27 minutes.
“Thankfully, Troy played really well as well so we can rest Japeth at times, we’re able to rest him some time and give Troy some extra minutes,” Cone said.
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Game 3 is scheduled for Sunday at the same venue, with Ginebra aiming to take a 2-1 series lead.
