Robert Bolick was quick to make his presence felt in his first game back after missing two consecutive contests for Northport in the midst of their 2022 PBA Philippine Cup campaign.
On Thursday night, the San Beda product finally made his return on the floor against Phoenix where he provided 17 points, eight assists, and five rebounds in close to 32 minutes of action off the bench.
With the help of Roi Sumang and Kevin Ferrer, the Batang Pier were able to overcome the Super LPG Fuel Masters to secure a crucial 95-92 triumph and improve to a 3-6 card.
Moments after their victory, Bolick admitted that he still hasn’t fully recovered from the ankle injury that he sustained midway through their matchup against the TNT Tropang Giga last June 29.
Still, the eagerness to grab a win fueled the 26-year-old playmaker to come out with his best effort in an attempt to help his team snap a six-game losing skid.
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“Di ko alam, chamba lang siguro. Alam naman ni coach na masakit parin tapos ‘di pa ako nakakapag-practice, kahapon lang,” Bolick shared.
“Wala eh, kailangan kasi talaga naming manalo.
“Kanina kinabahan talaga ako kasi tagal kong walang laro tapos minsan sa biyaya talaga ng Diyos eh ‘pag nagdadasal ka ng maayos. Andiyan rin ang mga coaches mo tiwala parin sayo kahit hirap na hirap na akong dumepensa ‘nun,” the native of Ormoc, Leyte continued. “Binigay ko lang best ko kasi kailangan talaga naming manalo eh. ‘Yun nga ‘pag nagsisipag ka, bibigyan ka ng panalo.”
While Bolick was sidelined, Northport greatly missed his contributions as the team dropped two consecutive games against San Miguel Beermen and Converge, respectively. The string of losses eventually dragged the Batang Pier to the 10th spot of the standings with a 2-6 record.
Thanks to Bolick’s timely return and a crucial win over the Super LPG Fuel Masters, Pido Jarencio’s squad was able to fan its playoff hopes as they head to the last two games of the elimination round.
With their backs against the wall, Bolick knows that he has to play at his best if he wants to overcome the odds and power his team to a playoff berth in this conference.
“Yun nga ‘yung sabi ni coach eh, kailangan na naming manalo eh tapos two games pa kami must-win samin eh, bawal na kaming matalo para may pag-asa man lang kami sa knockouts,” he stressed.
“Next game Ginebra pa so ‘yun bakbakan din ‘yun eh, kailangan talaga naming manalo kasi gusto naming pumasok sa playoffs eh.”
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The second game of each PBA gameday is live-streamed on SMART Sports.
