Japeth Aguilar had the opportunity to finish off the Phoenix Fuel Masters on Sunday night, when the lane was wide open, as he and Scottie Thompson perfectly executed a pick-and-roll.
But he missed.
That missed shot was crucial for the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel. It led to another overtime, and it ultimately led to to the Gin Kings’ 98-103 defeat — their third loss in the 2018 Commissioner’s Cup.
But for Aguilar, it wasn’t just his missed lay-up that cost them the game.
“It happens. Nagmintis ako. Pero, it’s not even the issue eh,” lamented Aguilar. “May mga chances kami in the second overtime.
“I thought we had some good looks but we didn’t convert.”
Aguilar’s claims are fairly accurate.
The Gin Kings actually had a chance to change the game in their favor, when they wiped out a 94-99 deficit by the 3:17 mark and turned it to just a single point, 98-99, with just 1:16 left to play.
However, the Fuel Masters were just too much. Justin Chua widened the gap to three, and RJ Jazul sank his freebies with 7.3 ticks left to shut the door close for the crowdfavorites.
The one who made Jazul’s free throws possible? Aguilar himself.
Sunday was incredibly sour for the Barangay. But for Aguilar, who left the match with a team-high 25 points along with nine rebounds, there’s no other way but to move forward.
“Really tough pero we have to look forward and get better,” expressed the 6-foot-9 forward.
“Everyone needs to get better and look forward to the next game, which is on June 1.”
