Jamie Malonzo knows he’s still a long way back from his usual playing form, but just being back on the hardcourt just felt good for the Barangay Ginebra big man.
After nine months of waiting, Malonza finally played his first game with the Kings in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup, suiting up in restricted playing minutes against the Blackwater Bossing on Sunday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
The 6-foot-7 former De La Salle standout finished with eight points in close to 11 minutes of action in the 86-63 Ginebra win, which he highlighted with a two-handed dunk in the third quarter.
The breakaway slam was good enough for Malonzo to settle down and realize he’s finally back.
“Maybe it might take some time, but honestly I feel great out there,” said Malonzo after the game.
“I probably could have played more, (but) they have me on a minute restrictions below. But yeah, I’m going to be working on getting back to regular minutes. I feel great.”
It was the first game back for Malonzo since April of 2024 when he went down with a calf injury against Northport during the Philippine Cup that necessitated off-season surgery.
Undergoing rehab made him missed the season-opener Governors’ Cup and several duties with Gilas Pilipinas.
And so it was a relieve for Malonzo to finally running up and down again on the court after not playing in a competitive game for almost a year.
“It was amazing, honestly,” said the 28-year-old power forward. “I feel like I’ve been waiting for a while for this day. It’s a good feeling, for sure.”
Malonzo said he was actually set to play his comeback game against Northport, but the flu bug bit him and made him skip several Ginebra practices.
“That was the team I got injured to, so that would have been a better story,” he said of the missed opportunity playing his first game back against the Batang Pier.
Nonetheless, a rematch with Governors Cup finals tormentor TNT is what awaits Malonzo next.
“It’s going to be my first game in a battle, in a war,” said Malonzo of the game against the surging Tropang Giga.
The Ginebra-TNT tiff is set on Friday at the Philsports Arena. (PBA)