SMART CLARK GIGA CITY--Barangay Ginebra wingman Jared Dillinger is enjoying every bit of his playing time in the PBA Philippine Cup Finals against former team TNT.
Dillinger was selected second overall by the Tropang Giga (formerly Tropang Texters) in the 2008 draft and won five of his six championships with the famed franchise before taking his act to Meralco in 2013.
Four of those were Philippine Cup titles including three straight from 2011 to 2013 that made TNT the first team to capture the Jun Bernardino Perpetual Trophy.
Now, the 36-year-old guard is just glad to face his former squad which still has some of his old teammates in Harvey Carey, Ryan Reyes, Jay Washington, draft batchmate Jayson Castro and Ranidel De Ocampo who is now an assistant coach.
"It's fun. Me and some of the other older guys out there, we like to talk trash to each other. We like to jab at each other and have some fun about it," he said.
Dillinger was a thorn on TNT's side in Game Two last Wednesday as he joined forces with Stanley Pringle, Aljon Mariano and Jeff Chan to lift Ginebra out of a 15-point hole late in the third quarter.
The Kings eventually took a commanding 2-0 series lead after escaping with a 92-90 victory where the Fil-Am cager from South Dakota finished with eight points, two rebounds and a steal in almost 17 minutes of play.
Having familiarity with the opposition, Dillinger knows too well that the Tropang Giga will fight hard to get back in the best-of-seven showdown.
"We know it's gonna be a long series. Those guys are warriors over there. They're gonna get it together, take it to another level," he said.
"Even though we're up, it doesn't mean anything right now. So we're just trying to stay focused as much as we can."
But Dillinger is eager to capture the league's crown jewel once again and this time with the Kings, who are also seeking to win an all-Filipino trophy after 13 years.
"I haven't won an all-Filipino for so long to be honest," he said. "Man, it would be a great thing, a great Christmas gift to us if we can get that one."