Isaac Go seemingly has that extra push whenever he faces San Miguel.
The fifth-year stretch big man reset his career-high in points, firing 22 in total.
And he played a role so crucial in Terrafirma’s massive upset to drag the no. 1 seed to a do-or-die in the PBA Season 48 Philippine Cup quarterfinals on Saturday.
His previous personal record was 21 behind seven treys, which he set against the Beermen as well in the eliminations last April 10. There, he also engaged in a duel with Mo Tautua’a, although the result did not go in their favor, 110-113.
So, is there really some sort of added motivation for him against SMB?
For Go, he’s simply doing his part in the Dyip’s game plan against the perennial contenders – stretching the floor to make things more difficult for an elite rim protector like seven-time MVP June Mar Fajardo.
(C) PBA Images
“That was the game plan,” he said after their 106-95 win at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
“Because when you go up against someone like June Mar, a great rim protector, and has great, great defense, parang that’s our offense eh.”
Go did his part well in the stunner. He finished with six triples, including a 5-of-7 clip for 17 points just in the first half as he helped Terrafirma take control of the game early against their twice-to-beat opponents.
“So with the trust of the coaches, with my teammates, yun na. I remember last game, I missed four or five in a row but they still told me to keep shooting it. So today parang ‘yun lang, carry over,” he said of his showing.
As a team, the Dyip went 15-of-40 from deep. And shooting that amount of threes, he said, was also because of the crew feeling challenged by going up against the no. 1 three-point shooting team of the conference (38.1-percent).
“Today even as a team we took 40 threes. ‘Yun na talaga. We know San Miguel is the no. 1 3-point shooting team, kami ‘yung no. 2,” Go said as they’re sitting just behind them with a 35.1-percent clip, “so napa-challenge kami.”
They definitely hope to shoot that way in the do-or-die on Wednesday.
Because they proved to themselves that it works.
“That’s what we have to do to beat a juggernaut like San Miguel.”
