There are plenty of players who helped the TNT Katropa take home Game 1, Wednesday night.
There’s Joshua Smith, whose lay-up with barely two seconds left lifted TNT to a 1-0 series lead against the San Miguel Beermen.
Then, there’s Roger Pogoy.
One simply can’t pass up on the way rookie Roger Pogoy made his presence felt for the flagship MVP franchise, knowing that this is the Gilas cadet’s very first test in the pro ranks’ biggest stages.
The 24-year-old played as if he had been in the big league for so long, dropping a career-high 27 points, 13 coming in the payoff period alone highlighted by a step-back triple that brought down Ronald Tubid. He shot 50 percent from the field, spiked by five triples.
“Masaya ako sa first game ko kasi Best Player kaagad, tapos maraming shoot sa three-points,” the proud son of Minglanilla, Cebu assessed of his Game One moments after TNT’s 104-102 win at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.
The Far Eastern University alumnus’ outing was nothing short of marvelous. But of all the people, head coach Nash Racela, his mentor in FEU, is unfazed, noting that what Pogoy did in Game One was something he usually does.
“What I got from Roger today were the normal things that we were getting all along.
“Siguro it was… Maybe it was extra special because he scored a lot,” said the first-year coach of Pogoy. “But again, his defense was crucial and that’s something that we always require of him. I think he was just blessed today to hit three-pointers. That’s something that is part of his arsenal.”
Still, Pogoy gave credit to his now-long-time mentor and his veteran teammates, for the confidence given on him.
“Nagpapasalamat ako kay coach Nash kasi binigyan niya ako ng kumpiyansa. Tapos sa lahat ng mga veterans, lahat ng mga teammates ko,” the 6-foot-2 swing man expressed.
“Kaya parang ‘pag maglaro parang wala lang kasi lahat ng sinasabi nila, ‘pag open, itira mo na.”
Pogoy may have had a career-defining game on Wednesday night, but he does not want to settle. He is fully aware that he still needs to put in a lot of work, as the series is still a long road to tread on.
“Dapat ‘di ako makuntento kasi hindi pa naman champion eh, malayo pa. Game One pa lang,” said the SEABA 2017 gold medalist.
“Adjust din. Siguro kung anong depensa ibibigay nila sa akin, mag-adjust din ako.”
