SIMON Enciso fueled TNT against his former team in Game 1 of the PBA 50th Season Philippine Cup finals on Wednesday.
Getting the starter role in the series opener, Enciso went off with eight first quarter points for the Tropang 5G on the way to a 96-91 win against San Miguel.
READ: TNT turns back last-gasp San Miguel comeback in Game One
Enciso’s production in Game 1 was a huge lift, with RR Pogoy out due to a hamstring injury, Jordan Heading just recovering from illness, and Jio Jalalon ultimately a DNP.
“I just try to be there for my teammates,” he said. “We work really hard. I knew we were down a couple guys, so it’s just a good opportunity for me to step up. Luckily, a guy let me step up today and I made a couple shots.”
Enciso, though, said his primary role in Game 1 was on defense.
As he put it, “My biggest focus was on defense, though. They have great guards on that team. So it was a good challenge for me today to kind of set my defense up and see how I match up with these guys. Obviously, I'm familiar with them. I come from San Miguel. So it’s fun.”
The ties that bind
Already 10 months removed from his last game with SMB during the 2024-25 Commissioner’s Cup, Enciso remains very close with his ex-teammates, and has shared experiences with them, even as foes.
While he won his first championship with the San Miguel in the 2022 Philippine Cup, the 34-year-old Enciso also lost his first chance at a title in a TNT uniform against the Beermen in last season’s All-Filipino.
“It’s always fun to battle up against my brothers on the other side,” added Enciso. “But when we step in between those lines, it’s all good.”
“I won my first championship with them, so I have a bond with them that I always remember. But like I said, when we step into those lines, it’s all business.”
One of the first players that Enciso guarded in the series opener was Chris Ross, and the former would be the first to admit he learned a lot from the latter.
Based from experience, Enciso also said Ross and Co. will be out to atone in Game 2 on Friday at the Ynares Center.
“He was my vet, right? So I learned a lot from him on defense. It’s just a testament of what I learned from him. And he’s a great player so I know the next game, I got to be even better," he said.
“So that's my focus right now. This game is over with. Now it’s on to the next. I got to be even better in the next game. So hopefully I can keep it going.”
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