RR Garcia backed up J-Jay Alejandro’s decision to take the crucial shots late in Phoenix’s thwarted bid to upend NLEX in Sunday’s PBA Governors’ Cup action.
The 28-year-old guard took matters into his own hands in the final minute when he fired two four-pointers in an attempt to revive the Fuel Masters’ hopes of completing the comeback from 23 points down during the second period.
Both shots missed its target and the crew of Coach Jamike Jarin would bow to a narrow 100-95 decision, dropping to 0-2 as well in Group B.
“Knowing J-Jay, titira at titira ‘yun,” the veteran playmaker said moments after the match at the SMART Araneta Coliseum. “‘Pag swerte, nakaka-shoot ‘yun.”
Some wondered why the veteran playmaker didn’t take those shots in the endgame, given that he had the hot hand during the fourth quarter.
Garcia scored 14 just in the said period, eight of which came from 27 feet out that included the shot that gave them a 93-89 lead with 2:42 left.
But the Road Warriors, behind Myke Henry, managed to get back in the lead not long after, which forced Phoenix to play catch-up all the way.
Still, they had a chance to tie with their foes’ lead just at 99-95, and that’s when Alejandro tried to will his side by firing from the left flank still with 12.8 seconds left — and with RJ Jazul on his right, with better space on top of the key.
The Fuel Masters tried to go to Garcia for another four afterward to try to chop the gap as they were down five, but Alejandro launched it as he read that his senior was hounded on defense by the much bigger Tony Semerad.
In all fairness, Garcia was never given any comfortable space whatsoever by the opposing team, given his exploits in the deciding chapter.
“‘Yung play naman talaga, yung ako nag-inbound, sabi ni Coach, balik sa’kin. Eh siyempre, nakadikit si Semerad,” he recalled of their final play.
Garcia finished with 18 in a vintage performance but while the 34-year-old is glad to have performed that well, a win would’ve made things better.
“Ang layo nung hinabol namin. Sayang yung chances,” he lamented. “Nando’n na kami e. Nando’n na kami sa game. Kinapos lang talaga.”
