With 7.6 ticks left to play, TNT head coach Nash Racela drew a play for Jayson Castro — a play designed to break the 102-all knot and to send the Katropa to a 1-0 lead over San Miguel in the 2017 Commissioner’s Cup Finals.
The Beermen, however, seemingly predicted that the leather will go straight into the hands of Asia’s best point guard. They simply denied Castro the ball as he tried to get it from a handoff, sending the Katropa’s plans in shambles.
Fortunately for TNT, an ailing Joshua Smith came up and rose as the team’s savior. He then attacked June Mar Fajardo’s defense, made his way inside, and trickled in the game-winning lay-up with 1.6 seconds to go.
The buzzer sounded later on. The Katropa, despite the broken play, made their way towards the win and the series lead in the best-of-seven affair.
“Maganda naman yung defense ng San Miguel nung last play namin, pero in case na ma-deny ako, yun talaga ang emergency [plan] namin, si Josh.
“Maganda naman yung result, na-shoot niya,” lauded the nine-year pro of the last play.
It was just one of the things the 30-year-old was thankful for that night. TNT nearly melted down in Game One — they were already ahead by nine late in the final frame, only to blow it up as the Beermen made one last push.
Then Smith’s magic did wonders. The burly import may be the game’s hero, but the 104-102 victory wasn’t solely his show.
The Katropa have a handful of young guns in their roster, and in the title bout’s opening salvo, they did not disappoint — rookie Roger Pogoy was one great example, who scored 27 markers, with 13 coming in the final frame.
The four-time Best Player of the Conference awardee, regarding Pogoy and all the other Katropa who had a hand in the morale-boosting win, was all praises for them, as their constant reminders are not going to nothing.
“Sinasabi lang namin i-enjoy lang nila yung game. Then, embrace pressure kasi siyempre first time may pressure, which is maganda rin sa amin,” said Castro, who flirted with a triple-double with 14 markers, nine rebounds, and 10 assists.
“Yung pressure na yun, sinasabi namin na gawin nilang opportunity para makapagpakita sila this Finals.”
