SUBIC — Bonbon Custodio steadied Davao Occidental-Cocolife’s ship when it seemed like they were sinking, Saturday afternoon.
Heading into the second half, the Tigers were ahead 41-27 when San Juan-Go-for-Gold made a huge 12-1 run, capped by three straight triples from Mike Ayonayon to cut their deficit to three, 39-42.
And when everything felt like chaos, Davao head coach Don Dulay made the biggest substitution of the game as he called on Custodio.
The savvy veteran took control of the floor, playing at his own pace as he went on a personal 8-1 run to restore order, 50-40.
That key moment helped the Tigers move on the verge of the Chooks-to-Go MPBL Lakan championship after denying San Juan in Game Three, 66-58, at the Subic Bay Gymnasium here.
Even when the defending champions made some rallies in the fourth period, Custodio was there, maybe not scoring, but he was the one dictating Davao’s offense, making all the right decisions.
“Doon na lang talaga ako maaasahan — doon sa pabagal, hindi sa pabilis.
“Yun yung role ko sa team,” the 38-year-old said in jest, who tallied 10 points, six rebounds, three assists, and three steals.
Seriously though, Dulay said he subbed in Custodio to really pacify his teammates, who have been going toe-for-toe with the pace of the Knights.
When things got rough, Dulay was glad he can really use the experience of Custodio who’s been playing basketball as a profession since 2008.
The 5-foot-11 guard only had five minutes of playing time in the first 20 minutes of action, but that was really the plan according to the 40-year-old mentor.
“Bonbon has always been our stabilizer. He has so much experience under his belt and I need him under those situations,” said Dulay.
“I didn’t use him too much in the first half so he had a lot of energy in the second half which played out well for us.”
With all the experiences Custodio amassed during his 13-year pro career, he has also been active on the bench of the Tigers, usually seen giving inputs to the coaching staff.
The University of the East product even became teammates with Don Dulay back in 2011 with PBA team Alaska.
“Based on experience lang kasi galing akong pro, bumaba ako dito so yung mga natutunan doon. Shine-share ko lang kala coach kasi pareho naman kami ni coach — naging teammate pa nga kami dati,” quipped the veteran.
