Rey Nambatac has proven himself reliable in the clutch for Rain or Shine in this 2019 PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
Unfortunately, his endgame magic faded just when the Elasto Painters needed it most.
During Game Four of their semis battle versus the San Miguel Beermen on Friday night, the sophomore guard missed two crucial three-pointers inside the final 1:13 – including one with 36 seconds left that could have tied the ball game.
The Elasto Painters lost, 98-95, bidding their campaign goodbye. And Nambatac could only regret afterward.
“Sobrang nakakapanghinayang. Kasi andun na eh, wide-open. ‘Di lang talaga pumasok,” said Nambatac, who had 15 points. “Imagine wide-open na yun, ‘di talaga pumasok. Nasa isip ko talagang alam ko papasok na eh, pero ‘di talaga.
“Para sa’kin, masasabi ko ‘di ko araw. Ganun talaga. Wala namang perpekto sa basketball eh. Nagmi-miss ka talaga eh.”
The loss might hurt, but Nambatac said that he will just use this to add more fuel to his desire to improve.
“Gagawin ko na lang siya as a positive na motivation kasi mga ganung moments, dapat pasok na yun eh. Kasi bawal na magkamali dapat,” the native of Cagayan de Oro said.
“So hopefully, sa last conference maging consistent pa rin and mas lalo pa ‘kong mag-improve.”
The end has now come for the Elasto Painters following the loss, but they are holding their heads high despite the exit. For Nambatac, nobody expected Rain or Shine to reach the semis given their early struggles, and yet they did.
The Elasto Painters only amassed a 5-6 record in the eliminations, but the Meralco Bolts’ loss to NorthPort Batang Pier allowed them and Magnolia to seal playoff berths. Rain or Shine eventually finished in sixth place.
They then faced the third-seed Blackwater in a best-of-three series in the quarterfinals. Their experience over their younger counterparts played a huge role, since they finished the Elite in Game Three to head to the semis.
“Hindi naman galit si coach. Even our management, tuwang-tuwa nga sa pinakita namin kasi talagang alam nila, na talagang lumaban kami sa game na ‘to. Hindi namin binigay basta-basta yung larong ‘to eh,” said the 25-year-old.
“Sinabi lang nila na proud sila sa’min dahil kahit naman nung bago mag-start itong conference na ‘to, talagang underdog kami eh. So struggling kami, and walang nag-expect na makakapasok kami ng semis,” he continued.
“Para sa’kin, proud din ako sa mga teammates ko dahil pinakita lang namin yung pagiging matapang namin.”
