Sidelined nang halos isang taon dahil sa torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) sa kanang tuhod, balik-aksyon si Greg Slaughter sa debut ng Ginebra sa season-ending PBA Governor’s Cup, Linggo ng gabi sa Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Respetado ang produksyon ni Slaughter na 14 points, 14 rebounds, three blocks at one assist sa loob ng 30 minutes, pero hindi nagawang nailusot ng Gin Kings ang unang laro nang yumuko sa Meralco, 93-78.
Pero mukhang hindi naikasa ng Kings ang high-tempo offense habang nasa court si Slaughter.
Aminado ang big man na kailangan pa niyang mag-adjust.
“I’m coming in after over a year, during that time we really had a lot of success, so it’s up to me to try to figure out how to fit in with everyone,” lahad ni Slaughter. “We have a different style of play now so I’m looking at how I can fit in, help everyone else, complement our team to be better.”
Tinalo din ng Bolts ang Gins ngayong season, at una pagkatapos ng third game ng Finals ng parehong conference noong nakaraang taon. Ayon kay Norman Black, ginawa ng kanyang mga bataan ang kanilang trabaho.
Kontra Ginebra, alam ni Black na halos buong coliseum ay kalaban nila kaya kailangan todo-kayod.
Na-outscore ng Bolts ang Kings, 51-25, sa second at third quarters para burahin ang dalawang beses na 11-point deficits at lumayo ng 72-53 sa kalagitnaan ng third.
“I think we started out well, but kinda lost our chemistry in that second half,” dagdag ni Slaughter.
Hindi rin nagamit ng Ginebra ang mas mataas na frontline kina Slaughter, Japeth Aguilar at import Justine Brownlee, nakaungos pa ang Meralco sa rebounds, 60-52 – 24 mula kay import Allen Durham.
“I think that rebounds were out of control,” pag-amin ni Slaughter. “That’s up to me, Japeth, and Justin and figure out with our big lineup how we’re going to control them rebounds because with a lineup with our size, I don’t think there should be any game where we lose rebounds.”
Malayo pa ang karera, inaasahang makaka-adjust si Slaughter sa lalong madaling panahon para makatulong sa pagtatanggol ng Ginebra ng korona.