BIÑAN CITY, Philippines – Greg Slaughter was jolly and all smiles as he left the locker room here at the Alonte Sports Arena. 

Why wouldn’t he be? Friday night, May 11, was a double celebration for the 7-footer as he returned from a two-month hiatus and helped Barangay Ginebra clinch its first win in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup by romping past the Blackwater Elite, 105-91.

“Man, it feels great running out there with the guys, it was a lot of fun. But I got to work on getting in shape, a few moments out there I was catching my breathe a little too hard,” said Slaughter. 

“It’s just a lot of fun. It feels great to be back and I’m excited to build on this.”

Slaughter last played a PBA game in February before going down with an ankle injury. That injury kept him from enforcing the Gin Kings in their playoff run in the Philippine Cup and their first two games this conference that resulted to back-to-back losses.

Now back in the fold, the 29-year-old, despite admitting he has to regain his fine form, quickly made an impact as he posted 12 points, 6 rebounds and two assists in nearly 25 minutes of action. 

“I felt pretty good on my ankle, it’s just a little discomfort sometimes. Definitely I’m not in shape yet, I need to work on that in the coming weeks. There’s still time to get in shape,” said Slaughter.

Slaughter and Ginebra have more than a week to prepare for the Phoenix Fuel Masters as they chase for a second win on May 20 at the Araneta Coliseum. – Rappler.com