ANTIPOLO – Jerom Lastimosa couldn’t be any more grateful to the vote of confidence he’s receiving from Magnolia after missing a game-winner that ultimately led to their first loss of PBA Season 50 last Sunday.
“Sobrang thankful and blessed ako sa mga beterano ko, especially kay Coach LA,” the sophomore playmaker offered.
“Kasi even if I missed that shot, parang binibigyan niya pa rin ako ng kumpiyansa na tumira nang tumira.”
Lastimosa became the center of discussions online when his decision to call game against Meralco didn’t lead to the win. Instead, his attempt from three missed and enabled their foes to come away with 78-76 decision.
But it wasn’t the miss itself which got scrutinized, rather his choice to not defer to Paul Lee for the last shot even as his senior was open.
Not a few thought that the ‘Lethal Weapon’ should have had that shot, since he’s won many games that way for the franchise.
Still, Lee himself and head coach LA Tenorio stood by 5-foot-11 guard as the stars have no issues with his choice.
After all, he had a solid performance against the Bolts with 22 points, playing a key role in their big fourth-quarter surge to spark hopes of a comeback.
(C) PBA Images
“He doesn’t care na mag-miss daw ako ulit. Wala siyang pakialam sa nangyayari sa mga social media, basta ang importante daw is magpe-perform ako ng maayos, tsaka siyempre susunod lang sa sistema niya,” the 27-year-old native of Dumaguete City said.
Lastimosa made sure to repay that kind of trust on Saturday after helping the Hotshots get back on track.
The Adamson great finished with 16 points, five rebounds, four assists, and a steal as they took down Terrafirma, 104-93, to go 3-1.
The win also forges a tie at the no. 1 spot with TNT Tropang 5G in the Season 50 Philippine Cup standings.
“Nasa mindset ko lagi is, sinusunod ko lang lagi yung sistema ni Coach LA, which is parang effective naman siya para sa akin,” he said.
But more than his own showing, Lastimosa feels much more satisfied by the fact that they’re sharing the lead with a fellow contender. And he hopes that they can continue their winning ways moving forward.
“It’s a good start for us kasi nga 3-1 … Sobrang good start sa amin ‘to and hopefully tuluy-tuloy na ‘tong winning namin,” he said.
#WATCH: “HE DOESN’T CARE IF MAG-MISS AKO”
Jerom Lastimosa is grateful for the trust given to him by LA Tenorio 🏀
📹 @justinebacnis /Tiebreaker Times#PBA50 pic.twitter.com/jgnMijG6Fq
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) October 25, 2025
