Terrence Romeo didn’t look hobbled by the ankle injury he got last week as he, along with Atty. Mans Carpio, won the Legends Shootout in the PBA All-Star Week curtain-raiser in Digos, Davao Del Sur, Wednesday evening.
Romeo — who substituted for Magnolia Hotshots’ elder statesman, the Makilala, South Cotabato-native PJ Simon — scorched hot right from the opening rack and nailed 24 of his team’s 33 points en route to the victory.
“Naswertehan lang. Tsumamba lang mga tira,” said the TNT Katropa gunner.
“Nagpapanalo samin si Terrence. Sabit lang ako,” quipped Carpio, the Presidential son-in-law.
Romeo and Carpio bested teams in Scottie Thompson and Major Michael Sabsal; Allan Caidic and Presidential Assistant Bong Go; and Kenneth Duremdes and General Santos representative Bobby Pacquiao.
The Duremdes-Pacquiao tag team had the best chance to upend Romeo and Carpio, but Pacquiao failed to punch six more points to tie the eventual champions. They finished as the runners-up in the event with 27 points.
Asked if he will suit up in the Mindanao All-Stars-SMART All-Stars clash, where he will play for the latter, Romeo lamented that he might not be able to, as his ankle injury — which he got last May 18 versus the Blackwater Elite– still hurts.
“‘Di pa ganun kasigurado kasi masakit pa,” he admitted.