JD expects dogfight in finals

MANILA, Philippines — Ginebra forward Jared Dillinger isn’t revealing what battle plans coach Tim Cone has laid out for the PBA Governors Cup finals against Meralco but while he’s not disclosing any secrets, it’s clear the team is ready to dig deep in the trenches for a dogfight.

“This could go to either Game 6 or 7,” said Dillinger. “We’ve been working hard at practice. What coach Tim plans to do is something we’ll keep in our pockets. All I can say is we’re focused on both ends, offense and defense. I’m new to the team and being out there, I can feel the crowd giving us that extra fuel of fire. It’s a big plus, of course, but how the crowd affects you depends on the player. Like if the crowd is against you, you could use it as a motivation to play harder, to play better.”

Dillinger, 35, started his PBA career with TNT then moved to Meralco before signing with Ginebra in the middle of the last conference. He sat out more than 30 games this season to recover from a ruptured quad in his right thigh. Slowly, Dillinger worked his way back, finally played his first game with Ginebra during the eliminations this conference and checked in for every semis contest against NorthPort.

“I’d felt pain in my quad for a while and masked it with injections so I could continue playing,” he said. “I should’ve stopped playing sooner but I didn’t so I eventually ruptured my quad, an injury like what Kawhi Leonard had. I went to Cleveland and consulted the Cavaliers doctor before this season started. No surgery required, just a lot of therapy and critical injections to speed up my recovery. It took a long time to heal but now, I’m ready more than ever.”

Dillinger said he hasn’t played on a PBA championship team since coach Norman Black brought a title to TNT in the 2012-13 Philippine Cup. He followed Black to Meralco and now, they’re on opposing camps. “I’m definitely hungry for a championship,” he said. “I was with TNT during the dynasty years and you don’t really realize how lucky you are until you start missing the finals. I was on five TNT title teams. With Meralco, we were close to winning the championship twice but lost to Ginebra. I was injured in the 2016 finals but played in 2017. It’s funny that now I’m on the other side of the fence. Before the playoffs started, I texted coach Norman and told him see you in the finals and here we are.”

Dillinger said it’s easy to defer to Justin Brownlee, L.A. Tenorio and Stanley Pringle because when they’ve got the ball, they get the job done. “I’m still finding my confidence in offense and I know it will come,” he said. “Right now, I’m comfortable playing defense at one, two or three. I’ll defend whomever coach Tim wants me to cover. L. A., Stanley and Justin are guys we can lean on.   They’re our core. I’m getting back my endurance and stamina. Coach Tim got my feet wet in the semis. It’s tough but it’s exciting to work my way into coach Tim’s system, fit in and find the chemistry.”

How to stop Allen Durham is Ginebra’s challenge in the finals. “Maybe, J. B. will go straight up against Durham sometimes but I think we’ll give him a lot of different defensive looks,” he said. “Whoever defends him will need a lot of help. But that’s where coach Tim comes in. In the NorthPort series, our biggest adjustment was putting Scottie (Thompson) on (Michael) Qualls and forcing him to go left. That was the key. Against Meralco, we can expect a lot of adjustments along the way.”

Dillinger said Meralco rookie Bong Quinto is a player to watch. “I was still with Meralco when he came for the first day of practice,” he said. “I remember Bong telling RDO (Ranidel de Ocampo) and me how he used to watch us play with TNT when he was 10 or 11, going to our practice. He’s a great kid, humble, quiet, works hard, plays defense. We’ll keep an eye on him in the finals.”