ANTIPOLO CITY – It was a surreal feeling for Matt Nieto seeing his twin brother Mike at the other end of the court and playing for the opposing team.
Nieto twins' first PBA matchup
Together as teammates for a long time, the Nietos finally went up against each other for the first time in their playing careers Friday night.
And the initial bragging rights belonged to Matt as NLEX came through with a 109-100 victory in overtime against brother Mike and Rain or Shine in the PBA Governors Cup at the Ynares Center.
Matt finished with four points, two rebounds, and three assists as the Road Warriors overcame a huge 22-point deficit to notch their seventh win in 10 outings and in serious contention for a twice-to-beat edge in the quarterfinals.
And the victory had to come at the expense of Mike in their first meeting against each other in the pro level.
“Nakaka-panibago for sure kasi warm up pa lang nakikita ko na siya na nasa kabilang team. Pero masaya rin kasi lumalabas yung competitive side naming dalawa. Walang gustong magpatalo and siyempre, bagong experience talaga,” said Matt.
Mike for his part, had six points, three rebounds, and two assists, but Rain or Shine suffered a third straight loss for a 3-6 record and outside of the Magic Eight cast in the playoffs.
At one stretch in the final quarter, the Nietos even had to go up against each other in several sequences, a scenario Matt made possible since, according to him, he knows how his twin brother plays.
“Alam ko kasi yung galaw ni Mike. So pinapili ko si Kris (Rosales), sabi ko ako na ang kukuha sa kapatid ko kasi alam ko na yung galaw, para hindi na sila magkaroon ng momentum,” Matt said.
“Kaya siya talaga yung pinili kong bantayan.”
With Matt having gotten the better end of the game, he said Mike will definitely hear some ribbing coming from him.
“Outside the game lokohan. So hanggang mamaya lolokohin ko siya,” said the NLEX rookie guard.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph