San Miguel coach praises debuting Kyt Jimenez for energy

MANILA, Philippines -- San Miguel head coach Jorge Gallent raved about the "quality minutes" of "energy guy" Kyt Jimenez, who made his debut Sunday evening.

Jimenez, who was the 76th overall pick of the 2023 PBA Draft, made his PBA debut in the Beermen's 93-83 win over Meralco in the PBA Commissioner's Cup.

He spent a total of 12 minutes and 36 seconds on the floor, drawing oohs and aahs from the crowd.
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He also had a slick crossover on Jansen Rios in the second quarter of the game, which led him to draw a foul.

He then sank both of his free throws for his first points in the PBA.

It gave the Beermen a 21-point lead, their biggest in the game.

However, his debut was cut short after catching an elbow from Cliff Hodge in the 8:32 mark of the final quarter.

He had to be subbed out and was shut down for the night.

After the game, Gallent lauded Jimenez's energy on the court.

"About Kyt’s first game, you have to remember he was under contract. So Kyt just arrived two to three days before the NLEX game. Now was the best time to put him inside," the coach told reporters.

"Unfortunately, he got hurt. But he did quality minutes. Kyt’s an energy guy. He’s good. He brings us energy," he added.

The Beermen will try to get their second win in a row against Converge on Saturday, November 25, in Tiaong, Quezon.