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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Basketball devider Tim Cone never once doubted Stephen Holt. Here's why

Tim Cone never once doubted Stephen Holt. Here's why

Published Jun 8, 2026 03:05 pm

At A Glance

  • Holt was held to just one point in Game 1 and scoreless in Game 2. But head coach Tim Cone is looking far beyond statistics, stressing that look at his players in an entirely different lens as the fans have.

Through the first two games of the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup Finals, some fans and critics are hard on Ginebra gunner Stephen Holt for what they believed his lackluster performance in the series.

And the frustration was understandable. Holt was held to just one point in Game 1 and scoreless in Game 2.

But head coach Tim Cone is looking far beyond statistics.

“People are saying, I know there was a lot of internet noise about him. He's been playing great,” Cone said of Holt.

“I think if you're just looking at Steven strictly as a scorer, you're not looking at the whole game of basketball. He's a lot more than just being a scorer, and, you know, he impacts winning in so many things that he does,” he added.

Still, Holt’s hot shooting was a welcome development in Ginebra’s 116-102 victory in Game 3, allowing it to retake the Finals lead, 2-1.

Holt fired 15 of his 23 points in the opening quarter, setting the tone to the crucial win that saw the Kings lead by as many as 22. 

After missing all of his five attempts from the field through the first two games, Holt was more aggressive on the offensive ends, taking 13 attempts, making seven, including five from deep.

Cone, however, clarified that even though Holt is not shooting particularly well from the field, the veteran guard offers a lot to the table than most fans think.

“Even when he was not scoring a lot, he's the kind of guy who looks at the game and says, okay, this is what I need to contribute. Sometimes it'll be scoring, sometimes it'll be being the ball mover, sometimes it'll be the spread out guy,” Cone explained.

“Steven's such a tremendous leader. So when everybody said he was struggling, he just said he struggled the last two games. I didn't think he struggled the last two games,” he added

“He just wasn't looking for a shot. And tonight he came out looking for a shot and it was impactful.”

Related Tags

Ginebra Gin Kings PBA Finals Tim Cone Stephen Holt
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