Adrian Nocum saw his season-high outing go down the drain after Rain or Shine remained winless in the PBA Season 48 Philippine Cup, Saturday night.
The rookie guard out of Mapua dropped 29 points, including 13 in overtime, but the Elasto Painters fell to a 121-17 decision to Meralco and went 0-2 in the tilt.
He eclipsed his previous personal-best of 20 markers, which he set against TNT on opening night last Wednesday in Antipolo. It also went for naught as RoS blew a lead as big as 10 points and bowed by way of a 108-107 result.
“Points ko, balewala naman ‘yun kasi talo kami,” Nocum told reporters moments after the loss to the Bolts at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
The 24-year-old pointed out what he has to work on instead, hardly celebrating whatsoever his big scoring nights for it didn’t lead to the desired result.
“Marami pa akong dapat maano sa sarili, lalo na sa depensa. Kanina kaunting ano lang, yung kay Bong [Quinto], natirahan ako sa three-points. So dapat alam ko yung mga ganoong sitwasyon kasi crucial ‘yun,” he said.
“Marami pa akong dapat i-adjust sa sarili, kahit na ganoon, naka-career-high na naman ako, naka-29 points ako. Balewala naman ‘yun kasi talo kami.”
Nocum also lamented the ‘little things’ in the pair of losses they’ve absorbed. Against Meralco alone, losing the rebounding battle 66-44, proved costly.
“Last game, simple lang, sa free throws, talo kami sa free throws. Ang daming binigay sa amin, 42, ilan lang yung na-shoot namin, 18 ‘yung sinablay namin. Kanina naman, 66 yung rebounds nila, kami nasa [44] lang, ganoon.
“Sa rebounds kami talo kanina. Sa mga simpleng bagay lang kam natatalo eh, so kailangan ‘yung mga simpleng bagay, mga small things, ‘yun ‘yung dapat ‘wag naming pabayaan,” the former San Juan Knight added.
Still, the conference is in its early beginnings and Nocum and the rest of the Elasto Painters are charging their most recent loss to experience.
“Sinasabi nina Coach na hindi na kami mga bata,” he said. “Alam na namin ‘yung laruan dito sa liga. Kailangan accountable kami, sabi niyang ganoon.
“Kailangan ‘pag nasa loob kayo, accountable kayo; kung ‘di man kayo makatulong, sabi niya, ‘wag kayong sana maging pabigat sa loob.”
