KJ McDaniels enjoyed going up against his former team as NLEX battled the debuting TNT in 2021 PBA Governors’ Cup action, Wednesday night.
And to come out victorious makes it all the more sweeter.
“It was fun getting to compete with the guys,” he expressed moments after the Road Warriors’ 102-100 escape at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
“Kelly [Williams] did a hell of a job, [McKenzie] Moore, [Roger] Pogoy, I mean the whole squad, Jayson [Castro]. It was a great experience.”
McDaniels had his maiden stint in the league in 2019 through the Tropang Giga, and was among those who stood out in a talent-rich batch of imports.
The former NBA cager showed his pedigree, leading his side to a 7-0 start to become the first team to do so since the league’s expansion in 2014.
Unfortunately, they failed to go all the way. The Tropa bowed to Allen Durham and eventual runners-up Meralco in the semifinals, 3-2.
Now, he has the opportunity to get over the hump with NLEX. And Wednesday’s match, if it’s any indication, showed how much he wants to do just that.
The 28-year-old produced 33 points on a 56-percent clip, on top of eight rebounds, two steals, one block, and one assist in over 40 minutes.
“You know, being able to get that many points and score that against your former team is always a good feeling,” he said.
He likewise made his presence felt in the endgame, saving Kevin Alas’ block by throwing it to Anthony Semerad to make it NLEX ball with 28.4 ticks left.
That was his way of making up for the turnover he committed, which nearly led to Kelly Williams’ go-ahead bucket until his teammates’ big denial.
“We had some crucial turnovers, myself included. So we just gotta try to clean it up. And we know TNT is a talented team, they can make shots,” he said.
By surviving the Tropang Giga, the Road Warriors are now sitting atop the standings at 3-0. And McDaniels hopes that it leads to somewhere great.
“Hopefully, a championship,” said the seven-year pro, who’s now averaging 33.3 points, 11.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.7 blocks a game.
“That’s what we compete for. That’s what every team competes for,” he added. “But, we have to take these games right here and learn from them.
“That’s a championship contender we just played, and we have to just learn from it and keep building from there, and keep improving every day.”
