In his first two conferences with the San Miguel Beermen, three-time scoring champion Terrence Romeo has gladly taken the back seat to his seniors.
But after their Game One loss to the TNT Katropa last Sunday, San Miguel Corporation Sports Director Alfrancis Chua spoke with the flamboyant guard.
“After ng Game One, kinausap ako ni boss Alfrancis. Sabi niya sa akin hanapin ko daw scoring ko para ‘pag na-collapse sila sa’kin, mas madali ako makaka-pasa,” recalled Romeo about what Chua, a former head coach, told him.
Romeo responded in a big way.
In the first half alone, Romeo fired 16 points to give San Miguel a 12-point cushion against TNT. Then when TNT were on the verge of taking a 2-0 lead, the 5-foot-11 guard went old school. He threw the game-tying triple with 18.7 seconds left in regulation to send the game into extra time.
“Set talaga ang play na ball screen kami ni C-Mac [Chris McCollough]. Nangyari naman. Siguro medyo nalito yung dumedepensa kung mag-switch kay C-Mac,” shared Romeo.
“Buti na-libre ako, at thank God sinamahan Niya yung tira ko.”
Though held scoreless in the two overtimes, Romeo ended up with 29 points on 10-of-14 shooting – all of them important. San Miguel were able to knot the series at 1-all after a pulsating 127-125 double overtime win.
Still, given his offensive outburst, Romeo was grateful to Chua for giving him the license to go back to his old gunslinging ways.
“Whole time ko kasi sa San Miguel, never ako naglo-look to shoot na. Kasi nga sa sobrang dami naming scorer, minsan titira lang ako ‘pag may pagkakataon. Pero most of the time, hinahanap ko mga kasama ko,” said Romeo.
“So ayun, malaking pasalamat talaga kay boss Al.”
