Mac Tallo was a man on a mission Thursday afternoon, scintillating in his D-League debut with the Racal Motor Alibaba. And it seemed that he was making up for lost time.
“Sobrang sarap. In-expect ko talaga na may ipapakita ako pero hindi ganun ka taas yung expectation ko,” said the 23-year old combo guard.
Right from the get go, the two-time CESAFI Most Valuable Player erupted for 15 first half points, shooting 5-for-6 from the field for 15 points to go along with four dimes. But as the game progressed, his gas also faded.
Tallo, who was the 11th overall pick in the 2016 PBA D-League Draft, suffered an injury during the early part of the year that made him miss the entirety of the Aspirants Cup.
“Actually, na-injure kasi ako nun tapos tinapos ko pa yung studies ko sa SWU [Southwestern University]. Buti naging healthy na ako at kinuha ako ni coach Jerry Codinera pagtapos nila mag finals,” shared Tallo, who finished with 20 markers in Racal’s 118-100 win over AMA.
Even if he spent the last five years in Cebu, Tallo felt right at home with Racal as the team’s veterans have helped him adjust to both life in Manila and the D-League style of play.
“Nandiyan kasi yung teammates ko. Tinutulugan nila ako mag-adust tulad nila kuya Allan [Mangahas], kuya Roider [Cabrera], lahat sila. Shineshare nila yung mga experience nila kasi ako yung youngest dito sa loob e,” the former SWU Cobra said.
Tallo, who played for La Salle back in 2011, though has no regrets even if his batchmates like Kevin Ferrer, Mike Tolomia, and Gelo Alolino are already in the pros saying, “Naiba lang yung path ko pero pareho naman yung pupuntahan namin sa taas. Nung umuwi ako sa Cebu galing sa La Salle, wala naman ibang kumuha sa akin, Southwestern lang. Inimprove ko sarili ko doon, ginawa ko yung lahat.”
Moreover, he is in no rush to reach the PBA as he is willing to take his time to improve in the second league.
“Hindi pa, wala pa sa isip ko yun. Titignan ko muna kung kaya ko na [dito sa D-League],” the D-League rookie closed.
