It was the James Yap of old who showed up in Game Four of the 2019 PBA Philippine Cup best-of-seven semifinals between the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters and his former team Magnolia Hotshots, Tuesday evening.
The man touted as Big Game James was instrumental in the Elasto Painters’ spirited fightback, when they managed to melt a massive 21-point lead to just a solitary point, 91-92, with only four seconds remaining in the match.
Though Jio Jalalon coolly sank his freebies with 3.1 ticks to go – stretching Magnolia’s lead to three – the door was still open for Rain or Shine to make a booming trey to send the match into an extra five minutes.
Of course, RoS went to none other than Yap for the tie. Unfortunately, he missed.
The Hotshots won, 94-91, to tie the series at two games apiece.
Still, Yap has no regrets with his missed three-pointer.
“Well basta ang nasa isip ko ngayon, no regret. Basta nai-tira ko nang maayos,” said Yap, who finished with 24 points. “Yun yung naglalaro sa isip ko, na ‘di na maibabalik kung mintis.
“Pero alam ko naman na naitira ko nang maayos.”
Beyond the miss, the former two-time Most Valuable Player is satisfied not just because he has regained his touch – Yap only shot 8-for-33 from the field in the series’ first three games – but with the fight the Elasto Painters put up.
“Actually masaya naman. Naunahan kami, slow start kami; buti nakabawi kami noong fourth quarter. I’m sure kinabahan din sila doon. I’m sure happy naman kami dahil kahit papaano, napagod din sila,” he said.
The momentum is now with Magnolia, since they have now won back-to-back games. But Yap isn’t sweating it over, saying the Hotshots have only tied the race-to-four series.
“Wala pa namang time na mag-panic. Naka-all lang sila,” said the seven-time champ. “It all boils down to best-of-three na. Alam ko naman mga teammates ko na ite-take namin as parang best-of-three na lang ito kasi two-two na.
“Yung Game One, yung ang pinaka-crucial. I’m sure yun ang nasa isip nila kasi yun ang ni-remind ko sa kanila before mag-start ang series na every time may ganito na Game Seven o best-of-seven, ang crucial is yung Game One.”
