The Flying V Thunder tipped off their maiden campaign in the 2017 PBA D-League Foundation Cup Thursday night, and it was a debut to remember, as they pulled the rug from underneath the Cignal HD Hawkeyes to come away with the win.
And it was star forward Jeron Teng who powered the neophytes in the opening victory.
With the Thunder down by a point, 84-83, with 4.3 ticks left to play, the 23-year-old La Sallian took matters into his own hands, sinking a tough banker plus the foul over Raymar Jose’s defense to propel his side, 85-84.
He then converted his free throw to finish the three-point play, enough to seal the deal for the debuting franchise, 86-84.
But for the two-time UAAP champion, the victory was not just about him and his game-clinching basket. The huge win, Teng iterated, is a testament of who and what the whole Flying V squad can be in the D-League.
“It showed our character — not giving up in those times and instead stepping up to the challenge,” said the Aspirants Cup’s scoring champion, whose side rallied back from eight points down, 77-69, in the final frame with a huge 17-6 run en route to the win.
And after lifting the AMA Online Education Titans on his young shoulders last season, Teng is relieved to have a lot of options he can defer to in clutch situations with the Thunder.
“Feel ko mas marami kaming options ngayon compared sa previous team ko,” shared Teng, who is in his last D-League conference before entering the PBA draft.
“Medyo nabawasan attempts ko and I’m here to give my best every time nagkataon lang na umabot sa ganun.”
The 6-foot-2 forward though pointed out that the team could not be too confident after Thursday, that more tough challenges are looming as the conference rolls.
*We can’t really get overconfident because our goal this conference is greater than just winning the first game.
“We really have to stay focused and keep our eyes on the prize and continue to work hard,” said Teng.
