Ahead of clash vs NLEX, Blackwater's Pinto named Player of the Week

John Pinto is having a breakout conference right now. PBA Media Bureau (file photo)

By Ivan Saldajeno

MANILA--The PBA Governors' Cup has slowly become a conference to remember for John Pinto.

Arellano's prime point guard before Jio Jalalon became the school's star is having a breakout stint in the season-ending tournament, posting career-highs of 12.5 points, 7.5 assists, and 4.5 rebounds.

A testament to his huge improvement was his Player of the Week-worthy performance this past week, where he made 11.5 points, 9.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.5 steals a night over two matches.

Pinto dished out 13 assists and grabbed seven rebounds and two steals for Blackwater last Wednesday night against GlobalPort, but none was bigger than his dagger triple that helped the team hold off GlobalPort, 111-105.

Two nights later, Pinto put up an even better all-around game, scoring 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting, six assists, three steals, and two blocks as the Elite shocked Barangay Ginebra.

The Player of the Week award, his first for this season, will give Pinto a huge moral boost as Blackwater plays NLEX on Wednesday night.

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