BY this time, Terrence Romeo should have been out of this PBA Philippine Cup Finals as he continues to be bothered by a nagging calf injury.
But knowing how important his presence is to the team, Romeo decided that he would play through the pain for Wednesday’s Game Four.
And he delivered.
Romeo gave San Miguel a boost in the limited time he was on the court, scoring seven points in 18 minutes of play while dishing out three assists as San Miguel evened the best-of-seven series with a 111-101 win over Meralco.
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The 32-year-old was a spark off the bench in his first appearance in this finals. He was at his best in the fourth quarter where he produced four points, including a jumper that helped the Beermen push their lead to 90-85, the last time their lead was seriously threatened in the ballgame.
Romeo admitted doctors have advised him to take a three-week break to allow a strained calf to heal - a diagnosis that would've kept him out of the entire series.
“Actually, ang time healing ko talaga sabi ng doctors, nasa mga three weeks talaga. Wala pa akong three weeks. Gusto ko talagang makatulong sa team kahit ilang minutes lang ako gamitin o kahit sa anong paraan,” said Romeo.
The former UAAP MVP said he took pain killers before Game Four in order to deal with his injury. It was also the first time that he played five-on-five since the semifinal series against Rain or Shine.
“Actually, uminom ako ng Arcoxia at Cataflam (pain killers) before the game," said the flamboyant guard. "Nararamdaman ko na kanina na nagta-tighten kasi eto ‘yung first time na nakapag-limahan ako simula nung Game Four namin ng semis.
“Eto ‘yung first time na nakapag-up and down ako na takbuhan. Hindi ko alam kung saan ako kukuha ng resistensya actually. Ang taas na ng level ng game nila kasi tuluy-tuloy ‘yung laro nila starting Game Four ng semis tapos starting Game One ng finals."
San Miguel coach Jorge Gallent said Romeo really wanted to play.
“He just decided to play because he really wanted to help the team. I’m very happy na ‘yun ang mentality niya. He talked to me yesterday and I’m going to try it and in case na I bring him inside, he is going to give his 110 [percent], which he did now,” said Gallent.
After his pivotal performance on Wednesday, Romeo said he remains determined to see action in Game Five where San Miguel will look to reclaim the series lead.
“Ganun lang, Arcoxia lang ‘uli at Cataflam,” said Romeo. “Actually, ngayon, namamaga siya. Pinakita ko [sa doctor] namin, ang laki ng maga kasi pinipilit ko lagyan ng weight. Kailangan ko siguro mapababa ‘yung swelling. Meron akong isang araw para magpababa ng swelling, hopefully, at makapag-ready sa Game Five.”
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