BANGKOK — Paul Zamar said he was simply in survival mode and not thinking about redemption when he hit the Game Four basket that sealed the win for Mono Vampire and extended the ABL title series with Alab Pilipinas to a winner-take-all match.
Zamar was on defense when Bobby Ray Parks hit an off-balanced shot to seal the Game Three victory that gave Alab Pilipinas the series lead and with the big shots in Game Four, the Filipino import gave the Tahi club a chance at the title.
“I didn’t look at it as redemption. I looked at it as survival because the season was on the line. Coach was stressing that before and even after the game. It’s not going to be easy. We need to find a way to win not just offensively but defensively,” said Zamar.
The Filipino import had 11 points in Game Four, highlighted by the one-hander with 17.9 seconds left that sealed the win.
It was a huge moment for Zamar, but he says it is still no cause for celebration.
“I can consider that, yeah,” said Zamar. “Biggest shots of my career. Hopefully not the last,” said Zamar.
Zamar insisted it was a team effort, stressing it was his teammates who put him in position to make the shot.
“It was a team effort that gave me the opportunity to make the play because we were right there, blow after blow. I made it. I’m thankful and relieved that I made it,” said Zamar.
The final match is set on Wednesday in Sta. Rosa in Laguna and Zamar is bracing for war.
“Since Game One, we knew it’s going to be very physical. Very tough. Their guns blazing. Every time we make a basket, they make sure they have their own basket,” said Zamar.
“We stuck to our game plan and We pushed especially in the end when it needed it the most. We need a lot of that in Game Five especially in a hostile crowd in the Philippines,” Zamar said.
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