After playing in just his third game for the season, Joe Devance is starting to pick up where he left off a year ago. And it could not have come at a timely manner for the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel.
During Game One of their best-of-three quarterfinals series with the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, Devance played 37 minutes and 50 seconds, finishing with a statline of 15 points, four rebounds, and five assists. The 6-foot-7 forward also kickstarted Ginebra’s breakaway in the final frame, scoring nine points during that span.
Even if the mental aspect of the game is back, the 11-year veteran disclosed that he is still recovering from the surgery he had during the off-season to remove a bunion on his toe.
“It’s the same. I mean, I had the same mentality every time,” shared Devance, who is averaging 11.33 points, 6.67 rebounds, and 4.67 assists so far. “I mean if anything, it put a pressure on me just because I’m kind of behind on everything. I’ve been out for so long and then I get back and it’s already playoff time.
“So, try to put a little bit of pressure on myself to hurry up and get back and get a hundred percent better. It’s a little hard, though.”
Besides starting to get groove back, Devance is starting to get his humor back as well.
With 2:10 left in the contest, Beau Belga tried to save the ball from falling out of bounds. But as Belga tried to bounce the ball off of Devance, the Filipino-American forward was ready for it, catching the ball underneath for an easy lay-in.
Beau Belga to Joe Devance? WHAT?! ?
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“Does that count as a steal for me or rebound or anything like that?,” quipped the Honolulu, Hawaii-born cager.
“I mean, I’m just joking. I mean that was a smart play, it just kinda back fired that time right? So that was pretty crazy though.”
On a more serious note, Devance just wants to end this series on Wednesday as it will buy him more time to rest and prepare for the winner of the San Miguel-TNT bracket.
“I mean, I’m not yet a hundred percent so I’m just hoping we can kinda grind out wins so that each day that passes you know I just get little better.
“I’m hoping again we can get this next game just to give me more time to get back in the shape, get my knees right, get my legs right so we’ll see. I’m getting better each and every day so just gotta keep grinding out wins to give me more time,” he shared.
