MANNY Pacquiao finally sank his first field goal as a PBA player during Mahindra’s season opener against Rain or Shine Sunday in the Smartbro-PBA Philippine Cup.
The early birds at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on hand for the featured main game between Barangay Ginebra and Star erupted in jubilation the moment the 36-year-old boxing champion entered the game in the final 70 seconds of the opening quarter.
But they were in for more as Pacquiao would later drained a corner two with Crhis Tiu guarding him at the 10-minute mark of the second period to give Mahindra the lead, 27-25.
The stint didn't last long as Pacquiao later went back to tbe bench midway through the period and Rain or Shine finally in the lead, 30-29.
The Enforcers never regained the driver’s seat and went on to lose their first game of the season, 108-94.
Pacquiao no longer played in the second half and finished with two points on 1-of-3 shooting from the field in his five-minute, 58-second stint.
“Ok lang. Ayos lang naman,” he said about making his first PBA basket after the Mahindra playing-coach went 0-of-6 from the field in his rookie season, scoring a free throw.
Asked why he didn’t score again, Pacquiao snapped back, “lumabas na ako.”
“Di bale next game na lang (ulit),” he stressed, while hurriedly riding his white SUV before going out of the Big Dome.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
