Charles Rhodes — who had carried much of the scoring load back in Game One that saw him erupt for 21 first quarter points — was silent in Game Two on Friday night as he only produced seven markers — all coming in the first half.
As it turns out, the 6-foot-8 forward out of Galveston, Texas was more oriented on the defensive side of the floor, as he defended TNT import Joshua Smith. It actually did wonders, as his effort limited Smith to just 11 points.
Ultimately, the Beermen won convincingly, 102-88, and have tied the Finals series to a game apiece.
“That was the gameplan — for me to just try and make him do things he was uncomfortable with. We succeeded with that,” proudly said the 31-year-old, of being able to neutralize his hulking counterpart.
“It was actually fun for me,” added Rhodes, describing how it was like to keep up with Smith, who was limited to just 11 points and six rebounds.
Making the Korean Basketball League veteran more upbeat was the lack of pressure he felt in terms of scoring. Rhodes still felt great despite his low output, as he is thankful for the locals who provided most of the offense.
“I let my locals do that. I think my gameplan was more of let my locals score and get them involved instead of me. I need to get involved on defense,” said Rhodes.
“It feels great. It feels great when you don’t have to score.”
