Much has changed since Chris Tiu was sidelined with a calf injury
Prior to the injury, the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters had still been figuring out how to integrate former league MVP James Yap and Gilas cadet Mike Tolomia into the rotation. Raymond Almazan was also the Elasto Painters’ anchor, averaging 13.0 points and 11.6 rebounds per game.
Once Tiu made his return last January 8 against the Phoenix Fuel Masters, Rain or Shine made it seem that they had already figured everything out even without Almazan, who is currently sidelined due to a calf injury. A question was then raised: how could coach Caloy Garcia ease the 31-year-old back in the rotation?
Last Friday, the former National Team stalwart did not play a single minute in the first half of Rain or Shine’s tilt against the San Miguel Beermen. But when his number was called, the Filipino-Chinese shooter came out with guns blazing.
“Well, I tried to stay ready and positive all the time,” the one-time PBA champion shared.
“Even if I didn’t play in the first half, my job is to help this team execute, speed up the tempo, and play defense; just to lead the team.”
The 5-foot-11 guard quickly made an impact during the third frame, scoring eight straight points to rally the Elasto Painters back. Tiu finished the game with his conference-high 13 points on 5-of-11 shooting to go along with five rebounds. However, Rain or Shine came out with the short end of the stick, absorbing a 101-107 loss to the league-leaders.
“Sayang. If we just held on to the ball in the last seconds of regulation, didn’t turn the ball over, and make one or two free throws, the game would have been over,” the five-year league veteran lamented.
But for the seventh overall pick in the 2012 draft, the game showed that he could still deliver when needed. And he plans on getting his conditioning back for the playoff grind.
“My calf feels okay. Maybe just a little winded since I haven’t been playing long minutes so I need to work on my conditioning. But the calf’s good,” Tiu vowed.
