MARCIO Lassiter insists he wasn’t trying to make a statement when he put up a splendid showing in San Miguel Beer’s 124-102 romp over Globalport in the PBA Governors’ Cup on Sunday.
Days after being involved in trade talk that had him being shipped to Barangay Ginebra, the Fil-Am wingman showed he deserved to stay with the Beermen as he registered a season-high 24 points, built around five triples, as he teamed up with import AZ Reid in leading a third-quarter surge that spelled the biggest difference in the one-sided win.
“I just come in the same way I come in - be professional and play San Miguel basketball,” Lassiter said. “It wasn't about proving anything wrong. Today, I was just aggressive. I shot the ball and it went in.”
Lassiter had other motivations.
“We had a really bad conference last time and it's very important for me as one of the leaders to step up and try to make plays for our team and get wins,” he said. “We put in a lot of work so we knew we had to come in and prepare hard. I'm glad that most of my hard work has paid off, but it's too early, and we have to continue to work hard.”
The win was also a birthday present for the veteran guard/forward who turned 28 on Saturday.
“I was hot tonight, maybe it was a special night for me,” he said. “I was just feeling it today. I kept shooting and I knew I was hot.”
Lassiter, though, admitted he was surprised to hear the trade speculations, although he refused to dwell on things out of his control.
“Before the conference started, I first heard about it. I read about it. Initially, it's a surprise,” he said. “At the same time, I just go out every day, be professional, compete. You can't worry about too many things. That's all I can do.”
But Lassiter is glad to be given the assurance that he is staying put – at the moment.
“It's a good thing to hear,” he said. “I'm just playing my game and doing what I can do with my capabilities. My teammates have full confidence in me.”
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