His numbers may not be flashy, but Bong Quinto made his presence felt for Meralco on Friday evening.
With the Bolts facing a challenge from the Blackwater Elite, the 6-foot-2 forward sank two three-pointers in a run that turned their slim 85-81 lead to a 96-86 edge with 4:50 left to play.
And that run proved to be the turnaround the Orangemen needed, as they walked away with the 106-97 victory.
Quinto — who started the game — then finished with eight points, five rebounds, five assists, and a steal. But for him, he was simply fulfilling the role given to him, which is to space the floor.
“Nung college, create ako ng create. Dito sa PBA, alamin mo lang ‘yung role mo. Role ko, spacing. Bibigay ako ng space sa kanila para ‘pag nakapag-create sila, mao-open ako,” said the Letran product, who was part of the all-NCAA Season 94 team.
“Basta ako, every time aatake sina Baser [Amer] o kung sinuman sa kanila — lalo na kung si AD [Allen Durham] — basta nasa right place lang ako at the right time,” Quinto added.
“Basta kailangan, ma-convert ko ‘yung mga ganung sitwasyon, lalo na ‘pag mga endgame.”
Quinto has improved his outside shooting this 2019 PBA Governors’ Cup. After Friday’s game, he is now shooting 47-percent from deep — 11-percent better than last conference.
For the rookie, it’s a result of his constant chase for improvement, since he’s aware he’s undersized in his position.
“Siyempre, kailangan talaga mag-improve ka sa lahat ng situational, lalo na dito sa PBA. Medyo maliit lang ‘yung height ko para sa posisyon ko, so kailangan improve ko ‘yung shooting ko,” said the 24-year-old, 6-foot-1 forward.
“Kailangan mag-improve talaga everyday sa practice.”
