MANILA, Philippines – JC “the Rocket” Intal stepped up in the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinals to help lead the Ginebra Gin Kings into the Final Four.

Intal averaged 26.5 points, 10 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2 blocks, according to PBA.ph. He even scored a career-high 28 points in Ginebra’s decisive 113-100 win over Talk ‘N Text last Sunday.

Such performance earned him his second KFC/Accel-PBA Press Corps Player of the Week honor for the period of February 1 to 7.

“JC has gone a long way from the time before he came to Ginebra,” coach Jong Uichico told PBA.ph.

Intal, a former Ateneo Blue Eagle, came from Air21/Burger King before being traded to Ginebra in the mid-season of 2008-2009.

He was named Co-Player of the Week alongside Kelly Williams of Sta. Lucia Realty for the January 4 to 10 period.

Uichico added that Intal finally shone given that top Ginebra players Jayjay Helterbrand and Mark Caguioa were sidelined by injuries.

“If there’s a good thing that happened without Jayjay and Mark is JC finding a niche in the system… It’s so hard to find a niche in my system because I tend to control my players, until I know I can let them go.”

Helterbrand and Caguioa have returned to the court but are still far from their old form, PBA.ph noted.

Ginebra will face the Alaska Aces in the semifinals beginning Wednesday. The other semifinal series is between the Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants and San Miguel Beermen.