On a simple Wednesday evening, the San Miguel Beermen took care of business at the Cuneta Astrodome and dispatched the also-ran Blackwater Elite. But that night also proved to be a record-setting one for Marcio Lassiter.
The Filipino-American sniper served as one of SMB’s anchors with 21 markers on 39 percent shooting. And alongside his scoring output, Lassiter had a glaring number in his personal statline, an eye-catching eight steals.
Little did the 30-year-old Californian know that his effort in defense have placed him in history books. His eight steals is the third-most among locals all-time, placing him behind Ryan Reyes’ 10 and Olsen Racela’s nine.
For Lassiter though, he was just simply being active on the defensive side of the floor.
“Just playing the passing lanes. I was just kind of being active, just reading what the defense was giving,” said Lassiter.
“Just trying to get some stops, helping by example, and I was glad I had some steals.”
But Lassiter, who was averaging 15 markers and 1.3 steals prior to Wednesday, felt upbeat not just because of his record, but because he was also able to prove that he is more than just a deadly sniper from distance.
“I’ve always known I can play defense. It is one of my calling cards, and I’ve been doing it my whole career.
“It’s just that, sometimes, my offense does show up, and it’s one of the first things they know about me. It’s always good to do both,” said Lassiter.
