Mac Belo’s worst outing as a pro turned out to be a wake-up call
Blackwater Elite rookie and Gilas cadet Mac Belo played his worst game as a pro against the San Miguel Beermen two Fridays ago, putting up just four points on five shot attempts and seven rebounds in 22 minutes of action.
That game made the 23-year-old realize that he still has a long way to go. Luckily for him, though, he has a support group that was willing to lift him back up.
“Tinulungan ako ng mga teammates ko kasi last game, nag-struggle ako,” the 6-foot-4 forward shared. “Pati mga coaches ko, nag-viewing kami para makita yung mga mali na ginawa ko.”
And once he stepped on the court Sunday afternoon, he was a man on a mission.
Usually a slow starter, the product of the Far Eastern University basketball program was ferocious as he aggressively attacked the rim — going to the line six times and putting up 10 points in the first half alone.
“Sa practice kasi natutunan ko na kailangan talaga go hard ako. Dinala ko yun sa larong ito,” the UAAP Season 78 Finals MVP said.
He finished the game with a team-high 21 points — his last bucket was a corner triple to help buck a strong Alaska comeback. Once he grabbed that last rebound — his seventh of the game — during the waning moments of the 103-100 win, Belo was relieved that his team had finally snapped their two-game skid.
“Maganda teamwork namin. Lahat nag-contribute,” the Cotabato native said.
“Good news yun para sa amin papasok ng playoffs. Next two games, mabigat mga kalaban namin kaya magandang pang momentum itong panalo.”
With a tough schedule ahead, he vows to simply keep pushing forward as the Elite try to enter the playoffs for just the second time in their franchise’s history.
“Mas hihigitan ko ang effort ko at kailangan mag-contribute naming lahat,” Blackwater’s leading scorer declared.
