The reigning PBA MVP will need to be at his very best in Game 7 for Ginebra to be crowned champs.
It seems unreasonable to ask more from Scottie Thompson — not after finishing Game 6 with 8 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and 5 steals in nearly 40 minutes of action. But Barangay Ginebra will, in fact, need more from the reigning league MVP, and anything less could be disastrous for the Gin Kings.
Thompson, to be clear, had a fine Game 6. He delivered the kind of all-around, do-it-all performance fans have come to expect. But the MVP’s impact was largely muted, his presence hardly felt, mostly because he could not make the kind of tide-turning plays he so often makes in the biggest of games.
There were no awe-inspiring rebounds, no breathtaking blocks, no timely triples. The Gin Kings needed some of those. They needed that something extra only Thompson can provide, especially in a game when only Justin Brownlee played well. That would have been the difference in Game 6, but the Digos native failed to answer the call. The MVP was noticeably MIA down the stretch, taking — and missing — just one shot and doing practically next to nothing of note.
Much of Thompson’s inability to make an impact is a credit to Bay Area recognizing the 29-year-old guard’s game-changing ways and doing something about them. All game long, the Dragons did a great job locating the always-active Thompson and putting a body on him, effectively keeping him from doing Hustle Man things — grabbing crucial boards, sneaking in for easy lay-ins, and getting open for that corner trey.
It is also possible guarding the explosive Myles Powell — something Thompson did a lot of in the first three quarters — took a lot out of the MVP. It certainly looked that way in the last six minutes of Game 6, as the Hustle Man looked just a tad spent, unable to impose his will when Ginebra needed him most.
Ginebra will need Thompson to be at his most impactful best in Game 7. Anything less and the Dragons might just make history.