Christian Standhardinger’s crucial plays late in Barangay Ginebra San Miguel’s 115-110 win over Meralco that led to a 3-2 lead in the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals showed why he has been one of the team’s unsung heroes in the series.
Standhardinger knocked down a jumper, scored another basket and hauled down an offensive rebound that led to Scottie Thompson’s dagger triple after Ginebra nearly squandered a 14-point lead when Meralco cut the margin to 98-97.
“I knew that we needed something and I just wanted to play within the offense of Coach Tim (Cone),” Standhardinger said after the game. “And then, they gave me that shot and I took it.
“You know, sometimes it goes in and sometimes it doesn’t go in and you give your best. Just what my mother always tells me, give it your best, and I gave my best and I’m happy they went in and I’m happy that I was able to contribute to our victory.”
The 6-foot-8 cager has been a valuable contributor for the Gin Kings in the finals, especially with Japeth Aguilar’s minutes reduced after missing several games due to a calf injury.
Through five games of the series, Standhardinger has posted 14.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.4 steals while also doing things that are not shown on the statsheet.
It’s a welcome sight for the Gin Kings and their legion of fans after Standhardinger had to go through an adjustment period since being acquired from the NorthPort Batang Pier in exchange for Greg Slaughter in March 2021.
Standhardinger said he was able to heed the advice of playing within Cone’s system compared to a bigger role during his time with NorthPort.
“It’s much better now,” he said. “What really helped me was (San Miguel Corporation sports director Alfrancis Chua). Boss Al told me that you don’t need to do something special. You don’t need to score 25 or 30 points, we just need you to help the team win.
“Coach Tim told me the same thing, and that gives you a lot of security as a player, that I don’t have to force anything and just be the best team player that I can be.”