Terrence Romeo was undoubtedly the star that shone the brightest on Tuesday night, in Game Four of the 2019 PBA Philippine Cup semifinals between the San Miguel Beermen and Phoenix Pulse Fuel Masters at the Cuneta Astrodome.
The former three-time scoring champion unloaded a whopping 17 straight points all by himself in the third quarter – spiked by five bombs from beyond the arc – that only compounded the woes of the already-trailing Fuel Masters.
Romeo would finish with 20 points on top off four rebounds and four assists to lead SMB to a 114-91 victory.
“Seventeen straight? Hindi ko alam eh,” said a surprised Romeo moments after the one-sided affair. “Credit sa mga teammates ko kasi sila nagse-set up sa’kin, especially si kuya Chris Ross. Talagang hinahanap niya ako sa loob.
“Siya din yung nagbibigay kumpiyansa sakin na laruin ko lang yung game ko.”
The six-year pro out of FEU said that he simply provided the spark coming off the bench, a role that he accepted the moment he became a Beerman before the new season.
“Nandito kami para mabigyan sila ng magandang pahinga para pagpasok nila, fresh legs sila. As much as possible ‘pag pumalit kami na second group, hindi kami bababa,” he said.
“‘Pag nandun kami dapat ma-maintain pa rin namin.”
Tuesday’s victory also meant plenty for the Beermen. They have gained a commanding 3-1 lead in the series, which moves them to just a win away from reaching the all-Filipino Finals for the fifth consecutive time.
For Romeo, this is an opportunity that he can’t miss. He has never tasted what it’s like being in the Big Dance in his years in the league; the farthest he’d gone had been a semis trip back in 2016 when he was still with GlobalPort.
Still, the 27-year-old isn’t thinking about all of it – yet.
“Sila, alam na nila yung pakiramdam eh, palagi na sila naglalaro dun and naka-ilang championship na sila. Ako if ever, first time ko – hopefully. Siguro ‘di pa namin pwede isipin, I’m sure magpe-prepare Phoenix,” Romeo said.
“Kailangan focus kami sa next game.”
