WITH the absence of some of its stars, Ginebra is counting on its seldom-used players to hold the fort in the Kings’ campaign in the PBA On Tour.
Gunner Von Pessumal is one of those heeding the call.
Ginebra assistant coach Richard Del Rosario, calling the shots for the squad while coach Tim Cone is with Gilas Pilipinas’ preparations for the FIBA World Cup, said his faith on the former Ateneo standout has never wavered.
“We’ve never lost confidence and trust in Von,” Del Rosario said. “We know the type of player that he is and it’s going to do well for him and for us moving forward.
“A lot of people are noticing lang na iyong scoring ni Von is going down,” he added.
Del Rosario spoke after Ginebra nipped Rain or Shine 108-107 two days ago that raised the Kings’ card to 3-3 in the pre-season tilt.
The 6-foot-2 Pessumal waxed hot with 29 points built on four three-pointers, on top of rebounds as Ginebra completed the come-from-behind triumph.
The Elasto Painters saw their four-game winning streak come to a screeching halt.
Pessumal had 25 points by the end of the third quarter, helping the Kings create a separation.
Nards Pinto took over in the final stanza, pouring 10 of his 14 markers, before Jayson David wound up with back-to-back baskets in the final 1:49 that set the stage for the thrilling ending.
Del Rosario said Pessumal is playing his role for the team to the hilt.
“He’s helping us in a lot of areas especially in rebounding and we’re trying to evolve his game na hindi lang siya spot up shooter because we don’t have a post presence,” Del Rosario said. “We want him to be aggressive in attacking the basket and creating for our team kasi kailangan namin iyon.”
