Aaron Fuller deservingly earned plaudits from coach Chot Reyes as his best outing yet for TNT came at the most opportune time, Wednesday night.
The returning import posted monster numbers of 22 points and 26 rebounds as he helped the Tropang Giga blow past San Miguel, 96-81, to snap out of their two-game funk in the 2021-22 PBA Governors’ Cup.
What made the mentor proud was the way he stepped up to the challenge of going up against the Beermen’s star-studded frontcourt.
Well, aside from reigning six-time Most Valuable Player June Mar Fajardo, Fuller had to battle the likes of Vic Manuel and Mo Tautua’a as well.
“We told Aaron that this is a huge challenge for him, playing against June Mar, Tautuaa, and Vic Manuel,” said Reyes moments after the win at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
“These are all prime, elite big men in the league.”
Fuller also got the best of counterpart Orlando Johnson, who struggled in his PBA return as he only mustered 12 points on 3-of-22 shooting.
Reyes lauded how the former NLEX and Blackwater reinforcement made a mark so big, most especially on defense and rebounding.
After collecting a total of four blocks in his first three games with the Tropa, Fuller had a game-high six versus San Miguel.
And the 26 boards he collected, according to league stats chief Fidel Mangonon III, is the most in a game since Allen Durham hauled down 2017 in Game Four of the 2019 Governors’ Cup Finals between Meralco and Ginebra.
It was actually the second time in a row that Fuller hauled down 20 or more caroms. He had 23 in their 92-93 defeat to Phoenix Super LPG last Sunday.
“I thought he had made a great account of himself with his defense, and with his rebounding,” said the champion bench tactician.
And that kind of impact he had inside, said Reyes, was of great help in allowing the others, especially Mikey Williams, to shine on offense.
Williams finished with a conference-high 30 points, including 22 in the fourth quarter that saw him bury six of his seven triples to completely tear the Beermen apart following a see-saw encounter in the game’s first three chapters.
“By him taking care of the interior, it allowed our guys like Mikey, Jayson [Castro], and the others to be a factor offensively,” he said.
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