Fresh from the blockbuster four-team trade that took place last Saturday, newly-dealt players veteran forward Sean Anthony and promising rookie Jonathan Grey made their debut with new team Globalport Batang Pier on Wednesday night.
And both cagers started the new chapters in their careers on a remarkable note, as they — especially Anthony — made their presence felt in their stunning 96-84 victory over the Meralco Bolts at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
“Getting a win is always great,” said Anthony, who finished with 18 points in 27 minutes of action and tasted his very first win after riding a 12-game skid with his old team NLEX, tracing back in January. “Knowing that we need this win to get into the playoffs is big.
“So we got two more games left, and we need to win those to make the playoff push.”
Both Anthony and Grey only had practices with the team for just two days, but they seemed to be accustomed to coach Franz Pumaren’s system. And for them, it is all about being able to adjust seamlessly.
“Two days pa lang ako sa kanila. Siyempre noong una nalulungkot ako kasi nasanay na ako doon sa Meralco pero siguro pagdating ng panahon naman ok naman dito ‘di ba? So adjust lang,” said the 25-year-old Grey, who only had three markers but logged in 16 minutes.
“Ang ganda ng inatakbo namin ‘di ba? Kumbaga first game pa lang, first time pa lang namin nagkita-kita, okay na lahat. Sana lang magtuluy-tuloy.”.
“Of course. I’ve played with coach Franz,” said seven-year veteran Anthony, on the other hand, who had the chance to play with Pumaren under Air21 back in 2014. “But at the same time, I’ve played with some of the teammates.”
“They’re great guys. It just felt great to be on the floor with them,” continued the 31-year-old.
Now that their first game with the playoff-hunting Globalport has already been in the books, both Anthony and Grey are now ready to move on, and are now looking forward to help the Batang Pier improve even better.
“Ganoon ang buhay eh, ganoon ang basketball, ganoon ang PBA. I have to face reality na ganyan talaga dito, kumbaga gagawin mo lang everyday gagalingan mo lang para sa team mo,” said Grey.
“I learned a lot from coach Yeng. He’s a great coach. A lot of his stuff has stuck with me. NLEX was a great learning situation — when you go through tough times like that, there’s a lot you can learn from.
“Hopefully we can bring something here,” Anthony stated.
