Playing as a guard for the NLEX Road Warriors nowadays is a huge task to fulfill. It’s nerve-wrecking to say the least, as they have to provide almost the same impact that the injured Kevin Alas and the suspended Kiefer Ravena have brought.
But Mac Tallo isn’t fazed.
The 5-foot-11 guard had been signed by the Road Warriors recently to address their need of support in the backcourt. NLEX acquired Tallo from sister team TNT Katropa, where he only played for a single game this season.
“Actually, hindi e. Hindi naman ako Kiefer Ravena maglaro, ‘di naman ako Kevin Alas maglaro. I’m more of a pass-first point guard and they’re more of a scorer than me. I’m not really pressured,” said the cager hailing from Cebu.
Tallo had been put to the test on Friday night as NLEX took on the fiery Alaska Aces. The SWU Cobras product got his feet wet for over 19 minutes and made 11 points, three assists, three steals, and two blocks, and a rebound.
The Road Warriors though lost to the Aces, 111-120. But Tallo is taking the loss in stride, adding that he has yet to regain tip-top shape after being stricken with a latent tuberculosis, which sat him out for two months.
“Kinakapa ko pa sarili ko. Nakikita ko na kulang pa talaga ako sa kundisyon. Tuloy-tuloy lang sana yung laro ko and learn from my mistakes,” Tallo said. ‘First game ko ngayon, iisipin ko muna, be consistent every night.
“Nahirapan ako huminga e. Pina-rest ako two months, naggagamot ako. Pagbalik ko after two months, pinag-practice ako. Wala ako sa kundisyon,” added the ninth overall pick in the 2017 Rookie Draft. “I was 94 kilos, nag-lose ako ngayon, I’m now 85 kilos. Gusto ko pa na 80 kilos ako.
“Tuloy-tuloy lang sana.”
Tallo’s first game as a Road Warrior was nothing short of commendable, especially with the way he racked up numbers. However, he can’t be too confident, knowing that their next game would be against San Miguel Beermen.
“‘Di ko pa masasabi. Kalaban namin next game San Miguel so I can’t say na tumaas na talaga ulit (kumpiyansa),” said the 24-year-old. “For me, medyo tumaas naman, nawawala na yung jitters ko, nawawala na yung kaba, yung gigil.
“Hopefully, sana tuloy-tuloy na talaga.”
