Arellano floor general Jiovani Jalalon has gone on a fourth quarter rampage the last two games, displaying the clutch gene that many doubted he had a season ago.
After dropping 15 points in the final quarter against the Lyceum Pirates last Tuesday, the Cagayan de Oro native once again delivered in the clutch against the Letran Knights, their second game in four days.
But instead of knocking down jumpers, the 24-year-old weaved his way to the paint for tough lay-ins. Jalalon was able to break the wills of the Knights every time the defending champions made a rally, finishing the quarter with eight points, all in the final two minutes of the game.
“Hindi ko in-expect. Nag-focus lang ako sa game,” said Jalalon, who almost notched a triple-double with 22 points, 14 rebounds, and eight assists. “Nung pagdating ko sa arena, sobrang energetic ko.”
“Bago pa magsimula yung laban, hindi ko maintindihan yung sarili ko.”
The win broke their team’s curse against Letran, and it also booked the Chiefs’ Final Four ticket after having missed out a year ago, as they fell to the Mapua Cardinals in a playoff match-up for the last spot.
“Sobrang saya lang namin na nakabalik na kami sa Final Four,” he shared. “Gusto ko lang din talaga bumawi sa Letran dahil 3-0 sila sa amin.”
Even with MVP-like norms of 21.2 points, 7.3 assists, and 2.1 steals per game, the Gilas Cadet still feels that he can do more for his team come playoff time.
“Siguro, pagdating ng Final Four marami pa kami gagawin. Pati ako madami pang gagawin,” he concluded.
“Kelangan ko pang mag-step up talaga lalo na pag-crucial. Pag-crucial hindi pa kasi gaanong nakaka-shoot si [Kent] Salado.”
