CHOT Reyes admitted it was a gamble on the part of the TNT coaching staff to field Paul Varilla in the final seconds of regulation in Game 7 and the championship of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup on the line against Barangay Ginebra.
The champion coach said fielding Varilla was part of the Tropang Giga’s game plan having done it in practice for the entire best-of-seven series, which the team did win, 87-83, before a huge Friday crowd at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
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But the gambit backfired after Justin Brownlee hit the long three-pointer with Varilla defending him to send the game into overtime.
“Yeah, it certainly did (concern me). That was going through my mind,” said Reyes as he looked back on that crucial substitution with 16 seconds left and TNT holding a 79-76 lead in regulation.
Varilla was sent in to replace import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson who appeared to have aggravated his groin injury after sinking the layup that gave the team that three-point edge.
The seldom-used, 31-year-old Varilla stayed on the court for just five seconds as he was immediately recalled to the bench shortly after to bring back Hollis-Jefferson.
The five-second stint was the only time Varilla played in the entire best-of-seven title series.
“Pero talang pina-practice namin yun. Alam namin pag nangyari yun (situation), siya (Varilla) talaga,” said Reyes. “In the end, we have to go with what we practiced. And like I said, we coaches we live and die with the sword.
“E kung na-miss naman niya (Brownlee), e di bida naman ako,” added the TNT coach. “Si ganun talaga yun.”
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