Ranidel de Ocampo was a game-time decision, as he is still recovering from the flu bug. But after missing Game One, he could not let himself miss two straight games.
“Usapan talaga namin yun, na kung kailangan niya ako, puwede na ako,” the 13-year pro shared about the talk he had with coach Nash Racela.
“Obviously he’s not, but he wanted to try. He said he felt okay,” Racela added.
And during the second frame, the 35-year-old was fielded into the game. He was able to play five minutes during that span scoring two points.
“Kaya nung nagkatinginan na kami, yun. Sumubok talaga pero di talaga kayang manalo ngayon,” the 6-foot-6 stretch big shared as they could not control the San Miguel rally that started during that frame.
The San Miguel Beermen continued to surge in the final two quarters, leading by as much as 32 points during the final stanza before settling for a 102-88 win.
But for the six-time PBA champion, the “looks” that they were getting during their first quarter surge were no longer available in the final 36 minutes of the game.
“Actually yung mga nakukuha naming tawag nung first quarter, di tinatawag sa amin yun (second half) so yun yung pagkakaiba,” the native of Tanza, Cavite shared.
Still, even if his not in tip-top shape, De Ocampo, who averaged 11.91 points and 4.73 rebounds in 22.11 minutes, plans to play in Game Three.
“Not a one hundred percent but they will be ready to play,” Racela said about De Ocampo and Ryan Reyes. “They tried today and we got some positive feedback. We’re looking at them playing in Game Three.”
“Ready na ako next game,” De Ocampo vowed.
