MIKEY Williams began his first PBA finals series on a high note, leading TNT to a lopsided win on Wednesday against Magnolia.
Williams scored 21 points and shot 8 of 15 from the field, five conversions of which coming from threes, as the Tropang GIGA routed the Hotshots, 88-70.
“I just came in and just want to contribute,” Williams said. “I felt like we prepared well and I just want to execute everything coach wanted to get done. As a team, we did that.”
The Cal State Fullerton product made his triples during moments where TNT started to pull away. His final three of the game hiked the Tropang GIGA’s lead to 73-41, the biggest in the game.
Williams said the performance was definitely a confidence-booster moving forward especially following the San Miguel semifinal series in which he had a rocky performance, mainly due to the defense the Beermen put on against him.
But Williams also lauded the team play of the Tropang GIGA on both ends.
“It’s definitely a confidence-booster. (After) my up-and-down play in the San Miguel series, just trying to come in and continue to assert myself as best as I can and help my team. This is a team game. I just want to continue to do what I can and pick and choose my spots when I can while coach gives me the freedom to play my game.”
“Coach has given me the freedom to play my game. He is making my job a lot easier. That’s confidence in itself,” said Williams.
Mikey Williams knows TNT can't celebrate
Williams, though, cautioned that it is just the start of the series and Magnolia is capable of coming back from the lopsided defeat.
“It’s only Game 1. I just want to come in and be aggressive and just try to pick and choose my spots, just continue to do what I’ve done all year. But today, I felt like I just have to commend my team.
“We definitely execute what we need to and we need to shift our focus for Game 2 and make sure to kinda cut out all the little tacky fouls, trying to be over-aggressive or overzealous. Just continue to monitor that and neutralize that and put ourselves in position for the next game,” said Williams.
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