When Glen Rice, Jr. was whistled for his fourth foul with three minutes left in the first half of the TNT Katropa’s Game Two clash with the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel on Wednesday, it was expected that his night would end some time in the next half.
Furthermore, with Rice, Jr. on the sidelines, Ginebra had a window to rally back against TNT.
But none of those took place.
Rice, Jr.’s foul trouble did not even hound the Texters, even if he sat the entirety of the third quarter. The locals stepped up, and thanks to their contributions, the Katropa managed to tie the semifinal series at a game apiece, 103-96.
The local support proved crucial in the victory. And that is the main reason why Rice, Jr. — who led TNT with 21 points — was not really that affected by the whistles blown at him.
“I wasn’t really worried because I believe in the guys,” said the former NBA pro after the win. “Of course you don’t wanna be on the bench but I wasn’t that nervous at all.
“We got a lot of great players so I wasn’t really that worried at all.”
Moreso, his being on the bench was actually favorable, as it allowed the 26-year-old to get ample rest for the fourth quarter, scoring 12 points during the final frame.
“I didn’t play in the third so I had the opportunity to come out there a little fresher,” said the second-generation cager.
“And when I came in the fourth, we were already winning, so it made our job a lot easier.”
The 26-year-old was elated after the win, not only because he was able to survive the foul trouble, but also because he had finally seen energy from his team — the thing that he wanted to see after their 94-121 loss back in Game One.
“I think our energy was better,” said Rice, Jr. “We were scrambling a little more, we were a little feisty that’s why a couple of us got into foul trouble. Our energy was so high that we almost played a little too hard but not that smart.
“But it ended up good for us.”
