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    Santillan relieved to atone for late blunder: 'Patay [sana] ako kay coach'

    Game hero spares self from a tongue-lashing from coach
    Feb 17, 2023
    santi santillan
    PHOTO: Jerome Ascano

    SANTI Santillan was among those who stepped up to the plate as Rain or Shine had to make do without an import in its PBA Governors’ Cup game against Terrafirma on Thursday night.

    The sophomore big man scored 10 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter, including the last-second basket that propelled the Elasto Painters past the Dyip, 120-118, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

    Santillan added six rebounds and three assists in the team’s second straight win for a 2-4 record.

    “Sabi nga ni coach Yeng, challenge ito sa amin. Dito masusubok kung consistent talaga yung all-Filipino, na kaya rin namin,” said the 26-year-old Cebuano cager.

    The Elasto Painters found out just before the game that import Greg Smith II won't be able to play as he still hadn't secured the necessary Letter of Clearance from the Dominican Republic as required by FIBA.

    Santillan was there however, to save the day for Rain or Shine.

    He ended up as the hero for the Elasto Painters when he found himself free underneath the basket for an easy layup that broke a 118-118 deadlock with seven-tenths of a second left.

    A double-teamed Rey Nambatac made the winning play possible by making a perfect pass against a Terrafirma double team to an open Santillan.

    “Nagpapasalamat ako na libre ako sa ilalim and nakita ako ni Rey,” he said.

    The game winner came just after Santillan committed a bad pass to Beau Belga with a minute left to go, leading to a Jordan Williams follow-up off an Andreas Cahilig basket that tied the game at 116 to cap a 10-2 Terrafirma run.

    Had he missed that open game winner, Santillan knew he’ll definitely get the ire of coach Yeng Guiao.

    “Patay na ako kay coach Yeng,” he said.

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    PHOTO: Jerome Ascano
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