Redemption done right by Rey Nambatac.
10 days ago, the Racal Tile Masters absorbed a disappointing 77-75 loss to the JRU Heavy Bombers — their first-ever defeat in the 2017 PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup, having won their first five games.
And in that particular loss, the 5-foot-11 shooting guard out of Letran was to be partly blamed.
The Tile Masters actually had a decent chance at hitting a game-tying basket, but Nambatac blew it. After receiving the ball from Jackson Corpuz, Nambatac kicked it out to his right. Unfortunately for him, the pass went directly to the referee, resulting in an anti-climatic end to a thriller.
But the 23-year-old has redeemed himself after that costly late-game botch.
Racal staved off fellow pre-season favorites Café France Bakers, taking a gutsy 82-78 victory Thursday night — a win that helped them earn an outright semifinals berth in the playoffs. And in that victory, Nambatac shone the brightest.
The NCAA Season 92 champion topped Racal by chipping in 22 markers on 7-of-14 shooting, with his last eight points coming in the final period, helping Racal climb from nine points down to post a 69-61 lead.
He also filled up the stat sheet by grabbing seven boards and dishing out two dimes — the last one coming with 59.2 seconds left, as he found Corpuz for an under-basket stab, sending Racal up, 76-75, and keeping the Bakers at bay.
There’s no doubt that Nambatac shone the brightest for Racal when needed, something that he’s done ever since his Letran days. As for Thursday night’s victory, he has credited his stellar outing to his and his team’s will to reign triumphant at the end.
“Pinakita lang namin sa kalaban na hindi kami basta-basta magpapatalo,” said Nambatac. “Yung mindset namin, talagang gusto namin manalo kasi very important ‘tong game namin.
“So ginawa namin, nag-stick lang kami sa sistema namin. We played as a team, and we finished strong,” he declared.
And Nambatac believes that Racal’s come-from-behind finish against a perennial contender like Café France is a testament to their team’s character, given they all have come from different schools.
“Of course naman, oo. Kasi unang-una, iba-iba kaming players dito, iba-ibang schools, so doon mo makikita yung character ng bawat player na [may mentalidad na] ‘di mo puwedeng gawin lahat yung kaya mong gawin sa school. Kumbaga, play as a team pa rin,” the incoming Letran skipper added.
The Tile Masters are already assured of a spot in the playoffs, but a win over Cignal-San Beda on Monday will help cement their hold on the top seed. And for that upcoming match, all that Nambatac hopes is that they stay sharp.
“Huwag [sana] kaming mag-relax, kasi doon namin mate-test yung team namin kung hanggang saan ang kaya namin. Cignal is a tough team eh, so dapat pagtrabahuhan namin para madala namin sila,” the Cagayan de Oro-native said.
“Hindi pwede mag-relax, kasi coming into the playoffs, mas mahirap ang labanan doon. Hindi pwedeng rerelax-relax ka lang.”
