Jared Dillinger happy to face former team in PBA Finals – Manila Bulletin

SMART CLARK GIGA CITY – Barangay Geneva winger Jared Dillinger is enjoying every moment of his playing time in the PBA Philippine Cup Finals against former team TNT.

Dillinger was selected second overall by Tropang Giga (formerly Tropang Texters) in the 2008 draft and won five of his six championships with the famous franchise before taking his act to Meralco in 2013.

Four of them were Philippine Cup titles, including three in a row from 2011 to 2013 that made TNT the first team to capture the Jun Bernardino Perpetual Trophy.

Now the 36-year-old point guard is happy to face his former squad that still has some of his former teammates in Harvey Carey, Ryan Reyes, Jay Washington, his draft partner Jayson Castro, and Ranidel De Ocampo, who is now assistant coach.

“It’s fun. Me and some of the other older kids, we like to talk bad to each other. We like to hit each other and have a little fun,” he said.

Dillinger was a thorn in the side for TNT in Game 2 last Wednesday when he joined forces with Stanley Pringle, Aljon Mariano and Jeff Chan to pull Geneva out of a 15-point hole late in the third quarter.

The Kings finally took a 2-0 lead in the series after escaping with a 92-90 win where South Dakota’s Fil-Am cager finished with eight points, two rebounds and a steal in nearly 17 minutes of play. .

Being familiar with the opposition, Dillinger knows full well that Tropang Giga will fight hard to get back to the best of seven matches.
“We know it is going to be a long series. Those guys are warriors there. They will achieve it together, they will take it to another level, ”he said.

“Even though we are awake, it doesn’t mean anything right now. So we’re just trying to stay focused as much as we can. ”

But Dillinger is eager to capture the league’s crown jewel once again and this time with the Kings, who are also looking to win an all-Filipino trophy after 13 years.

“I haven’t won a Filipino in so long to be honest,” he said. “Man, it would be a great thing, a great Christmas present for us if we can get that one.”