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Stephen Holt turns in his finest scoring performance in the PBA as Barangay Ginebra draws first blood against San Miguel in the PBA Governors’ Cup semifinals
MANILA, Philippines – It took quite some time, but Stephen Holt looks like he has finally found his offensive footing with Barangay Ginebra.
Holt fired a career-high 30 points as the Gin Kings clobbered San Miguel in Game 1 of their PBA Governors’ Cup semifinals by way of a 122-105 win on Wednesday, October 9.
Acquired by Ginebra from Terrafirma through a shock trade involving Christian Standhardinger before the conference, Holt — the Rookie of the Year last season — showed off his scoring prowess after going 11-of-18 from the field.
“I think Stephen’s really starting to latch on the system and what we do. In the beginning, it was a little bit difficult for him, trying to find his place in what we’re doing, especially from the offensive side,” said head coach Tim Cone.
Coming off a solid season that saw him average 17.0 points, Holt ended the elimination round as Gin Kings’ fifth-leading scorer, averaging 11.9 points on 42% shooting to go with 6.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.4 steals.
But the former NBA G League player upped not just his production but also his efficiency in the playoffs, with Holt norming 13.0 points on a 59% clip in their 3-0 sweep of Meralco in the quarterfinals.
His steady rise continued on Wednesday as Holt laced his 30-point explosion with 8 rebounds and 4 assists to help Ginebra draw first blood in the best-of-seven affair.
“I thought he got kind of lost offensively early in the conference, it took him a while to figure out where and how he can be aggressive within the system that we run,” said Cone.
“He’s now finding that I think a little bit more and so he’s starting to use all of his game — his ability to get to the rim, his ability to shoot threes, his pull-up game.”
“He’s got a lot to give and he’s just trying to discover how to use all those weapons within what we do.”
But if there is one thing Holt has been consistent in, it is his work on the less glamorous end of the floor, according to Cone.
Cone said Holt gives the Gin Kings defensive flexibility with his ability to hound not only the best local players but imports as well.
“His defense has been lights out ever since we got him. He’s got to be one of the top, if not the best, defensive players in the league right now. He can guard anybody,” said Cone.
“He’s really versatile in his defense and he works at it so hard.”
A lot is expected from the 32-year-old Holt as Ginebra seeks a return trip to the finals following a pair of semifinal exits last season. – Rappler.com
