Michael Madanly has shown time and again that he’s ready when coach Jong Uichico calls his number.
Tuesday evening, the 35-year-old proved why he is one of the most reliable imports in this conference.
The Syrian import provided the spark to ignite KaTropa’s breakaway and score the 113-95 Game 1 win in their best-of-five semifinals series over the Meralco Bolts.
Coming off the bench, Madanly topped TNT Katropa with 22 points on a 4-of-6 shooting from threes, but more importantly, kickstarted the team’s 39-point breakaway in the third quarter.
“I can do whatever the coach asks me to. I come off the bench, bring energy to the team, especially on the offensive end and that’s what I’m doing right now,” he said.
Averaging 14.4 points — 46.3 percent from threes — 2.9 rebounds, and 1.3 assists for the conference, Madanly shared that he’s happy with his performance for the night, noting that it’s his extra work after practice allowed him to get his shots down when his team needed it.
“I’m working so hard everyday. Nothing comes from nothing.
“I put a lot of effort everyday after practice and my hard work paid off. I will keep working on my shot and keep my confidence high so when I get a chance, I’ll be ready to take advantage of those chances,” he shared.
But for the Asian reinforcement, there is nothing to celebrate since it takes three wins to advance to the Finals.
“We have to keep improving everyday. We can’t relax and think that we’re champions,” Madanly stressed.
“It’s a good win, it’s 1-0, but we have to focus on the next game. They’re going to find ways to stop us.”
