IMPORT Wayne Chism was candid enough to say the physicality in the PBA has increased his patience of late.
The 6-foot-8 wide-bodied Rain or Shine import said he had to endure the hacking, holding, grabbing, and tackling during the first two games of the Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinal series against Meralco.
“Yeah, I got a lot of patience out there. Even though they (teammates) still tell me to keep my head, but I’m smiling a lot now,” Chism told Spin.ph as he relished the one-day break after leading Rain or Shine to a 102-93 win on Wednesday night to tie the series at 1-all and force a rubber match against the Bolts on Saturday.
Chism got knocked down several times during the rugged encounter against Meralco in Game Two.
One play saw Chism getting a hard foul from Meralco forward Jared Dillinger while the Elasto Painters import was going up for a fastbreak layup, knocking down the former Tennesse big man and drawing a howl of protest from the Rain or Shine bench.
“It’s a lot more physical than I expected it was, just this physical. But I just try to keep my head as we play along,” said the soft-spoken Rain or Shine reinforcement, who came in to replace Alex McLean.
Nonetheless, Chism said he holds no grudge against the left-handed Dillinger, who incidentally had to leave the game early in the third period after hurting his back during the highly-physical collision.
“It (collision with Dillinger) was a strong play. He doesn’t want me to score a layup, but it was a good physical play,” he recalled. “I got nothing against him and I wish him well.”
Chism fired 26 points, grabbed seven rebounds, six blocks, and five steals in a solid defensive effort.
The Elasto Painters will try to complete their comeback from a 0-1 series deficit with another win on Saturday to advance to the semifinals.
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.
