MANILA, Philippines – Chris Banchero has a knack for finding an open teammate on the court, but his passing performance in the Alaska Aces' 103-101 victory against the Blackwater Elite was extraordinary.
Banchero racked up a total of 16 assists as he became a floor general for the Alaska offense. Also with 11 points to his name, Banchero powered the Aces against the pesky Elite with offensive awareness and extra passes that turned into easy baskets for his squad.
Coach Alex Compton was more than impressed with the 30-year-old guard after the game.
"Chris had 16 assists? I'm going to have to buy him a steak dinner for that," Compton joked.
"It's incredible, I didn't realize that," he said.
Despite his awe for Banchero's feat, Compton seemed hardly surprised that the Alaska guard was able to achieve that stat.
"He's got an ability to get PBA players open shots, that a lot of guys don't have," the tactician said.
"It's not purely unique... [or] completely different than anybody else in the league but he's got one of those abilities to create for people," Compton added.
The victory against Blackwater gives the Aces a two-game winning streak heading into the PBA break in anticipation for the sixth window of the FIBA Asia Qualifiers next week.