Mike Harris had himself a decent debut in the PBA, finishing with usual import numbers of 23 points and 15 rebounds to help the Alaska Aces escape the Meralco Bolts in their 2018 Governors’ Cup opener on Friday night.
But the 35-year-old wasn’t impressed with the way he played.
“It was terrible,” he rued after their 80-72 win. “It was my first game and I still have some stuff that I gotta adjust to. The officiating, learning the style of officiating. I like the physicality.
“I missed shots, maybe I overthought a little bit.”
More accurately, Harris missed shots here and there. At the end of the ball game, the 13-year journeyman only made nine of the 19 shots he launched from the field, and he only converted 40 percent of his shots from the charity stripe.
“I missed free throws, which I’m very disappointed in myself,” he added. “I can miss shots, that’s part of the game, but free throws, that’s an individual performance. My last five to six seasons, I really taken pride in shooting 80 percent from free throws.”
But as much as he’s disappointed, Harris also had some positives.
One of them was the big shot he made with 21 seconds left to play. When the Bolts came back from 15 down and knocked within five, Harris nailed a triple from the top of the key – as shot clock expired – to push their lead back to eight.
“But the good thing is that when you play such a bad game and you can make that big shot at the end, kinda clears everything out of the way. So, that shot I felt confidence stepping into it,” the American forward beamed.
The Aces will have another test this Sunday against the TNT KaTropa. And for Harris, he hopes to play much better against the Texters, who are coming off a 98-104 loss to the Blackwater Elite prior to the Alaska-Meralco bout.
“I know I can be better,” said the 6-foot-5 Harris.
“I think my teammates have seen it practice.”
