PAUL Lee was glad to be at the right place, at the right time in the game-winning play for Rain or Shine in Game Two of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals against Alaska on Sunday.
The Elasto Painters star saw Beau Belga’s missed left-corner three-point attempt hit the iron, with the ball bouncing to the other side toward him, pouncing on the opportunity by taking and making the game-winning jumper for a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
“Nakita ko malakas eh (yung tira ng Beau), so nagbaka-sakali na lang ako na mapunta sa kabila at ayun, tumama sa ring,” Lee said. “At pagkakita ko, two seconds pa yung oras, so nag-focus lang ako sa tira ko.”
“Good look na eh, walang humabol,” he added.
Asked if he was surprised to see no Alaska player was there to mark and box him out, Lee believes the Aces were more focused on getting the rebound in case Belga did miss it.
“Tendency kasi ng player pag ganun, feeling ko, mahalaga yung rebound eh,” Lee explained. “Binuwenas lang talaga ako na dun tumama yung bola at napunta lang sa kabilang side.”
But his resurgence was certainly no accident, E-Painters coach Yeng Guiao stressed.
“He’s just back to his leadership role,” the veteran mentor said of Lee, who’s making the most of this finals stint after being injured in the E-Painters’ first title run in the 2012 Governors’ Cup.
“Masaya ako kasi nakabalik na ako,” said Lee, who has been hampered by knee injuries the entire season. “Perfect timing. Sana magtuloy-tuloy.”
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