DAMIAN Chongqui drew cheers from fans on Sunday in a game against TNT when he dived for a loose ball, ending up at the front row.
“Honestly, it was an honor to have the fans applaud me,” the Macau guard said. “I’m just trying to play hard. I just play basketball. They only see two hours of the day out of my life. I’m just trying to play hard. I’m a competitive guy, and I just want to win."
So far, the wins have been elusive for Macau, with the game against TNT last Sunday representing the closest it got to a victory. The Giant Pandas mounted a late comeback before bowing to the reigning champions, 106-103.
Before that TNT match, Macau lost its first three games of the season-ending conference by an average of 26 points. But Chongqui said the close defeat to the Tropang 5G is a sign that the wins are bound to come soon.
“It’s coming,” the American-Chinese player said. “We were one to two plays to winning the game. But it’s coming. I think once we get that first win, a lot of wins will follow after. It’s just about getting over the hump.”
Macau’s next game will be on Saturday against Titan Ultra, a team fresh from winning its first game against TNT, 103-87.
The 5-foot-8 Chongqui is in his second stint in the PBA with Macau, now called the Giant Pandas, and is averaging 21.8 points, 5.5 assists, and 3.0 rebounds through four games.
When Macau was still the Black Knights during the Commissioner’s Cup, Chongqui led his team in points with 19.8 and assists with 7.7, helping the team to three wins.
Macau didn't get its first win of the last conference until its eighth game, but Chongqui believes they don't need to wait that long this conference.
“It’s been a tough start, just trying to find our rhythm. I think personally, I’ve been pretty good scoring the ball and trying to get my guys shots. Maybe I just need to be a little better as a leader and defensively.
"But we’ll get better,” the former Mount St. Mary and Purdue college guard said.
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