Alex Cabagnot wasn’t there for the San Miguel Beermen in their match against the GlobalPort Batang Pier on Wednesday night at the SMART Araneta Coliseum due to a plantar fasciitis in his right foot. His absence, however, was hardly felt.
And they have Brian Heruela to thank for that.
The 5-foot-10 point guard eagerly stepped up to the plate and turned in his best performance in a San Miguel uniform, scoring 17 points on 70 percent shooting along with five assists and a game-high six steals.
Moreover, the Cebuano’s performance was not for naught, as he and the Beermen cruised to their fifth straight victory, 107-93.
“I’m just thankful for the opportunity and the trust that coach Leo and the coaching staff and management gave me,” said Heruela of his performance.
“As guys off the bench, we just stayed ready and stepped up to the challenge.”
His outing was truly nothing short of commendable, that head coach Leo Austria and teammate Marcio Lassiter could not help but sing praises for him.
“I’m so happy tonight because of my players off the bench especially Heruela,” lauded the reigning, three-time Coach of the Year.
“Talagang inagaw niya yung show kay June Mar [Fajardo] and then kay Arwind [Santos] saka kay Marcio Lassiter.”
“Tremendous,” said Lassiter. “We know that Brian can do that. He’s capable of playing huge for us and he showed it tonight. He played off the bench and he was just incredible and he showed it tonight. I’m proud of him.”
With the Beermen raving about his game, the fourth-year pro couldn’t really say much, as he was left humbled.
“Humbling compliment,” said the 28-year-old, who was the 26th overall pick by Blackwater Elite back in 2014. “And a big boost for my confidence.
“So for me, I just do my job and stay ready, and hopefully help my team win.”
According to Austria, Cabagnot might possibly sit out for a month. Everyone in the SMB camp knows that the void Cabagnot will leave is huge, and that is why Heruela hopes that he and his fellow bench guys will be “able to cover it up.”
“For us, it’s bad news because Alex is a major part of our team,” he rued. “[But] We are always ready and we have to step up to the challenge.
“It’s a big void that Alex left so hopefully, we can be able to cover it up until he gets back.”
