Barangay Ginebra San Miguel guard Stephen Holt (right) and head coach Tim Cone after their 88-76 Game 7 win vs. TNT Tropang 5G in the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup Finals. PBA Images.MANILA — Aside from his 23-point breakthrough in Game 3, Stephen Holt struggled to find his rhythm throughout the PBA Finals, putting him under the ever-critical microscope of the Barangay Ginebra faithful.
After an impressive elimination-round campaign, the criticisms only grew louder as the veteran guard averaged just 5.1 points on 29.3% shooting in the Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup Finals.
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Holt was even held scoreless in Games 1 and 7, with the Season 48 Rookie Draft’s top overall pick missing all six of his three-point attempts in the decider while also coming up empty on his two free throw tries.
But despite his offensive woes, Holt said his confidence never wavered throughout their campaign.
“I am one of the leaders on this team, so I need to lead by example,” Holt told ABS-CBN News after celebrating his first PBA championship following Ginebra’s 88-76 Game 7 victory over TNT Tropang 5G on Wednesday. “I just continued to play defense and try to find ways to battle adversity.”
Though his shots were not falling, Holt made his presence felt elsewhere.
In the final five minutes of Game 7, he grabbed three crucial offensive rebounds and even set up RJ Abarrientos for a three-pointer with 1:59 remaining, stretching Ginebra’s lead to 83-76 and helping seal the title-clinching win.
For Holt, contributions like those are every bit as important as scoring, especially when they come in response to personal struggles.
“Sometimes, things do not go your way, but you can’t let it affect you. It’s bigger than me, bigger than my performance,” he said.
Looking back on their journey, Holt said overcoming his own setbacks made the championship all the more rewarding.
“All the hard work that we’ve put in finally paid off. This moment has been building, has been brewing ever since our first and second Finals losses to TNT, so when we got this opportunity, we just took advantage,” he said.
And whether his shot is falling or not when Ginebra returns to the hardwood, Holt said he will continue to find ways to impact the game.
“I’m a veteran player, that’s who I am,” he said. “At the end of the day, we’re champions and that’s what matters the most.”