It wasn’t the kind of welcome that Stacy Davis had wanted.
Davis, the TNT Katropa’s replacement import for the underwhelming Mike Glover, had a forgettable PBA debut on Friday evening, as he and the KaTropa were served a 98-104 overtime loss by Allein Maliksi and the Blackwater Elite.
The 23-year-old was able to collect 23 points and 16 rebounds, but he only shot 9-of-26 from the line and committed six turnovers. But it’s understandable, as Davis only arrived Thursday and had only one practice with TNT.
“‘Pag galing ka sa ganoong trip, at saka galing ka sa ganoong schedule, siyempre yes, you’ll lose your legs,” shared TNT head coach Nash Racela, as Davis arrived from Europe – Davis played in the French LNB Pro B.
But even with the lukewarm debut, Racela and Davis are looking at the positives of their first game together.
“It’s not really easy for him.
“He traveled 22 hours. From the moment he arrived yesterday, 6:00 am, he went to fulfill the requirements ng mga medical. He then went to practice, so from the airport to Makati to practice, 12-2, then went to the PBA office for measurement. So, hindi talaga madali for him. But I’m sure he’ll get better as he plays more,” said the second-year TNT coach.
“I thought we had the game. But you know, it happens. I think that we did a good job playing as a team, especially with me only having one practice,” said Davis, on the other hand.
“I think that’s something we can build off of. I think if that was the start that we had, losing a close game like that, I think that’s a positive [thing] to look at.”
Now, Racela hopes that Davis will be able to recover from fatigue, as the KaTropa are set to face the Alaska Aces – who are battling Meralco Bolts as of this posting – this Sunday, August 26, at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
“The important thing in the next 24 hours is rest, so hopefully he recovers quickly,” said Racela.
