After six years in the PBA, Justin Chua showed that he is here to stay.
The 10th overall pick in the 2013 Rookie Draft tallied a career-high 24 points on 17 shots to go along with six boards. But it almost went for naught.
With six seconds left and Phoenix down by a solitary point to Meralco, Chua missed a point-blank shot. Good thing Calvin Abueva was there for the putback that served as the game-winner for the Fuel Masters.
And Chua breathe a sigh of relief afterwards, as a loss would have most likely ended with a scolding from Phoenix head coach Louie Alas.
“Unang-una, nagapasalamat ako kay Calvin kasi kung ‘di niya na-shoot ‘yun, yari ako kay coach,” Chua quipped.
“For me, I feel like I lost that game for the team.”
More than that last possession, Chua was hard on himself after the game as he had too many lapses, including the overtime sending tip-in by Ranidel de Ocampo with 34 seconds left in regulation.
“The whole game medyo ang sama ng depensa ko talaga eh. Talon ako nang talon sa fakes tapos ‘di ako nagbo-box out. Ilang beses na ko sinasabihan ni coach pero parang ang tigas ng ulo ko this game,” he lamented.
“I’ll review the tape and I’ll try to be better next game talaga para ‘di na maulit.”
“Career-high ba? Pero medyo napagalitan namin kanina kasi na-shoot ni Ranidel, he stopped. Talagang pinanood niya ‘yung situwasyon,” added Alas.
“Sabi ko, wala tayong pinag-uusapan from start to finish kundi one possession, one possession, and you blew that one possession. Binawi naman niya ng overtime.”
Still, a career outing is still a career outing. But for him, he just wanted to get back at the Bolts, who eliminated them during last season’s Governor’s Cup.
“‘Di ko naman iniisip ‘yun kasi gusto ko lang talaga manalo kasi sayang, lumamang na kami ng malaki tapos nawala pa,” shared Chua, whose previous-best was 17 points back in April 25, 2018.
“Parehong-pareho nung quarters last conference kaya at least kami naman nanalo ngayon.”
