A test Tyler Tio aced.
The rookie turned a lot of heads with an impressive PBA debut as Phoenix opened its Philippine Cup campaign against San Miguel, Wednesday.
The 5-foot-11 sharpshooter out of Ateneo fired 17 points on a perfect 5-of-5 clip from beyond the arc, definitely making the most out of the chance he was given after being fielded as a starter. He also had two rebounds and an assist in the 24 minutes he played.
The Fuel Masters, however, lost by way of a 108-100 decision. But Tio couldn’t be any more grateful for the team’s trust in him.
Tio disclosed that he was told by head coach Topex Robinson that he’ll be part of the first five in their season opener, to which the mentor fulfilled.
“Coach Topex told me on Draft Night that they were looking for a starting point guard, and I’m just really thankful for the trust that he gave me from the beginning,” he said moments after the match at SMART Araneta Coliseum.
“It’s nice to have a coach that believes in me at this level. He told me after a couple of practices that he was gonna start me. So I had to repay his trust.”
Robinson, for his part, was pleased with what he saw from the 14th overall pick, especially for living up to the challenge of being in the endgame.
Tio was part of the closing unit along with Matthew Wright, Jason Perkins, Javee Mocon, and Jake Pascual. That same five gave the Beermen a scare in the final moments, but the latter’s star power proved to be too much.
“He delivered,” said the seasoned mentor. “‘Yun nga sabi ko sa kanya — you’re gonna be starting. Ang challenge is, will you end the game? And he did because he was doing the right things.
“Again, so much potential with Tyler.”
Tio is happy to see his dream come true.
“Dream come true. It hasn’t really sunk in yet, because obviously we lost, and we have another game coming up on Saturday. But I’m gonna take this night, and just… Dream come true, man. I’ll just take it in and be happy.”
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