Jeron Teng is about to turn 25 years old on Thursday, March 21. But he has already received a great gift on the eve of his birthday.
On Wednesday evening at the SMART Araneta Coliseum, Teng and the Alaska Aces drubbed the Meralco Bolts, 92-77, to finally snap out of their three-game funk in the 2019 PBA Philippine Cup.
As a bonus, the sophomore forward was at the forefront of the Milkmen’s attack with 16 points on top of seven rebounds, three assists, a steal, and a block in nearly 26 minutes.
“Birthday ko bukas, so sakto yung blessing sa’kin ni God,” said Teng, who’s the youngest active player in the PBA today, according to the league’s chief statistician Fidel Mangonon III.
The win saw the return of veterans Jvee Casio and Kevin Racal from their respective injuries. And for Teng, having a near-complete squad definitely played a big factor in the win.
“Feel ko lang super motivated kami, kasi [ang] tagal din nawala ni team captain Jvee Casio. Tapos si Kevin Racal, tapos rookie namin si GBoy Babilonia, so ngayon lang kami nakakumpleto sa practice,” pointed out the La Salle product.
“I think malaking bagay talaga yun.”
Teng and the Aces won’t be celebrating for long, however, as the defending four-time All-Filipino champions San Miguel Beermen are waiting for them for their clash this Sunday at the Big Dome.
Teng knows that they will be facing a hungry SMB side, since the Beermen are coming off a 93-96 loss to Phoenix Pulse in Panabo City last Saturday, so their energy would be a key factor.
“Siyempre we have to go back to the drawing board. It’s a crucial game for us. We’ll come out with a lot of energy and siyempre we’re hoping to win.”
