NorthPort’s Geo Jalalon and Terrafirma’s Stanley Pringle compete during the PBA Governors Cup. –PBA Images
MANILA, Philippines — Stanley Pringle and Geo Jalalon faced off once again in Group A of the PBA Governors’ Cup on Friday, but this time the contest was different from usual.
Pringle and Jalalon were two of the main protagonists of the league’s “Manila Clasico” rivalry in the PBA, a war that involved Ginebra and Magnolia.
Pringle spent the longest time with the Gin Kings, while Jalalon spent the longest time with the Hotshots.
However, this time it did not happen.
Schedule: 2024 PBA Governors Cup Elimination Round
After Season 48, when almost every team changed, Pringle was sent to Terrafirma while Jalalon was sent to NorthPort.
But without wearing their usual jerseys, the two wily defenders brought the heat in their first face-off battle since splitting from their original teams.
“I always face challenges because Stanley is different,” Jalalon told Inquirer Sports in Filipino after leading NorthPort to a 112-93 win over Terrafirma at the Araneta Coliseum on Friday.
Terrafirma guard Stanley Pringle. –PBA Images
“I’ve looked up to him since I was a rookie in the PBA, and I want to guard him because guarding him is a great challenge. I love challenging myself.”
Jalalon certainly looked eager to play against Pringle as he tallied eight points, three assists and three rebounds.
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Although Jalalon and the Batang Pier earned the win, Pringle scored more points than his point guard counterpart.
Despite the loss, Pringle recorded a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds to go along with seven assists.
Pringle praised the Arellano product, saying, “Gio is a guy you should always be ready for.”
“If you’re not ready for him, he’ll kill you out there. He’s a high-energy guy who knows how to move the ball, so I always have to be on my P’s and Q’s when I play him,” the former Gin King said.
This certainly wasn’t the way Jalalon envisioned his new encounter with Pringle, but the 2023 PBA Defensive Player of the Year understood the cost of doing business.
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“For me, as a professional, we can’t control what happens but before, we always matched up in the Manila Clasico. Now, I have to think, it’s really our business. You can’t tell when you’re facing someone or you’re working together with someone and that’s good.”
