Gab Banal will be bringing some great news to his dad Joel.
After a pair of misfortunes last Tuesday, the second-generation cager was a huge winner on Thursday night, as his Go for Gold Scratchers bagged the 2018 PBA D-League Foundation Cup championship at the expense of the Che’lu Bar and Grill Revellers.
Banal has been vocal of his desire to win the golden hardware for his father, who is currently recovering from a heart attack that he suffered over the weekend. And now that he has done it, the 6-foot-3 forward couldn’t be happier.
“I offer this game for him, I offer our championship for him,” said Banal after their 102-92 victory.
It would have been understandable had Banal not played at a high level due to what happened to his father. But he showed otherwise, as the ex-GlobalPort Batang Pier forward drew inspiration from his dad.
In the deciding match, Banal – a perennial MVP contender this conference – dropped 31 points on 10-of-17 shooting from the field, on top of six rebounds, four assists, and a steal in over 30 minutes of playing time.
This, even if he suffered cramps during the third quarter.
“When I lost the MVP, I told him I lost the MVP and we lost last game. So I said sorry. But he said just focus on Game Five and that was enough motivation for me to give my one hundred percent,” said the 27-year-old.
“I was cramping up during the third quarter but kailangan na manalo eh. Fourth quarter, Game Five, no excuses. I just needed to focus, there you go,” he added.
“My dad was enough motivation for me.”
