Rain or Shine head coach Caloy Garcia admitted that he gave Rey Nambatac an earful during the first half of the Elasto Painters’ 2019 PBA Commissioner’s Cup clash with the Columbian Dyip, Sunday evening in Batangas City.
“Because before the half, when he turned the ball over,” he said. “Napag-usapan namin yung turnover na yun even after the NorthPort game.
“So nagawa niya ulit itong game, so I got frustrated when he turned the ball over.”
Fortunately, it lit the fire within the combo guard out of Letran, so much that he became his team’s saving grace.
Nambatac finished with 10 points, including the game-winning lay-up off an inbound pass which he made all over the towering Lester Prosper’s defense with 2.6 left to play. He led the Elasto Painters to an 88-86 overtime victory.
“Yun yung nag-motivate talaga sa’kin.
“Nung first half, pinagalitan ako ni coach dahil meron akong useless turnover which caused an easy two points sa kalaban. Motivated ako coming to the second half,” Nambatac said.
“Yung nakakatuwa nga dito, nung napagalitan ko si Rey, and Rey won the game for the team,” Garcia lauded.
Sunday’s victory also ended the Elasto Painters’ four-conference losing skid to the Dyip. And for Nambatac, it was worth it to give his all to leap and make the winning shot all over the 6-foot-10 Prosper.
“Huling talon ko na yun, kasi talagang bumibigay na legs ko,” said Nambatac, who also collected nine rebounds, two assists, and two steals in nearly 35 minutes. “Yung ganung klaseng game, mental toughness na lang talaga.
“Yun na lang pumasok sa isip ko, na ‘di kami pwedeng matalo talaga dahil four straight na kaming ‘di nananalo sa Columbian.”
Aside from ending their struggles at the hands of the Dyip, Nambatac said that it was their 105-107 overtime loss to an eight-man NorthPort Batang Pier last June 19 that fueled each and every Elasto Painter in Sunday’s game.
In that loss, Rain or Shine were well on their way to a blowout win when they led by 25. Unfortunately, they only squandered it.
“Yun main reason kung bakit gusto namin manalo this game, kasi imagine lamang kami ng 20-plus tapos eight lang sila, talo kami. Para mawala yung sakit nung nararamdaman namin, we have to bounce back,” he said.
“Nag-pay off naman.”
