PBA: Here's how legendary Scottie Thompson's career game was

Scottie Thompson's triple-double was something the PBA had not seen in three decades. PBA Images

By Ivan Saldajeno

PASAY--Not known for dropping 30 points even when he was still with Perpetual Help, Scottie Thompson did just that on Sunday night, completing a career-high performance to lead Ginebra to a 105-91 win against San Miguel in Game 4 of the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

While he fired 35 points in only 18 shots, it was the other parts of the stat line that made Thompson's game more special.

The six-foot-one combo guard skied high for 11 rebounds while dishing out 11 assists as well to accomplish an extraordinary kind of a triple-double.

"It was a legendary performance. I think we're going to remember this for a long time," coach Tim Cone said.

Indeed, PBA fans may have to remember this epic game from Thompson for quite a while, as the last time a similar stat line happened was ages ago.

According to the league's chief statistician, Fidel Mangonon, it had been 33 years since a local last tallied a 30-10-10 in the PBA, particularly on April 5, 1993, when a rookie named Johnny Abarrientos put up exactly 30 points with 15 rebounds and 14 assists for Alaska, interestingly enough with Cone as head coach.

However, those numbers were not enough to lead Alaska past Swift.

Abarrientos eventually joined Cone's coaching staff with the Gin Kings, and "The Flying A" witnessed Thompson's historic feat from their bench.

The last time a local completed a 30-point triple-double in a win took place way back on July 5, 1990, when Ronnie Magsanoc fired 32 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and delivered 18 assists for Shell in a 155-108 demolition of Pepsi.

Magsanoc actually did the 30-10-10 twice that year, as he went 33-12-11 a month before, curiously enough, also in a win against the same Pepsi franchise now bearing the name TNT.

Magsanoc also saw Thompson's brilliance first-hand as he was part of the commentary team for the PBA's purely English TV broadcast on PBA Rush.

Unless the new-age floor generals like RJ Abarrientos and Juan Gomez De Liano, who are capable of exploding while also delivering solid all-around games, do the trick very soon, it may take a few years before we see something similar to Thompson's single-game brilliance again.