CHOT Reyes missed a lot of short putts when he competed in an amateur golf tournament - 34th Bill Shaw Classic at the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club – on the morning of Game 1 of the PBA 49th Season Commissioner’s Cup finals.
Good thing Reyes’ TNT Tropang Giga were not as unlucky as him when making their shots, particularly from the perimeter.
TNT made 8 of its 13 three-point shots in the first quarter alone on Friday night, en route to winning the series opener, 95-89.
READ: TNT pulls off masterful win over Ginebra in Game 1 of PBA Finals
Reyes laughed off the contrasting results of his golf game in the morning and the basketball match in the evening.
“I played in a golf tournament this morning and I was missing putts this short,” said Reyes during the post-game press conference, using his two hands to describe just how short some of his missed putts were. “They kept lipping out.”
“I said, it’s ok if I miss my shots now, as long as my players make their shots tonight.”
That was exactly what happened in Game 1 when the Tropang Giga's outside shots fell early and often. There was one stretch where RR Pogoy made three straight triples that allowed his side to take a 29-18 lead.
TNT ultimately hit 14 of 37 treys (38 percent) in Game 1, enabling it to fend off a late rally by Barangay Ginebra.
“Luckily, that’s what happened. I’ll take that anytime,” said Reyes.
While he has been emphasizing that defense will be all-important aspect in the finals, Reyes said basketball remains an offensive game in the end.
“We can play all the defense we want, but the game is still about putting the ball in the hoop. It’s still about scoring points. So the key is for us to get good shots. As long as we keep consistently getting good shots, some will fall, some will not. But at least the entire objective is to get good shots,” said Reyes.
TNT's locals go online
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson had 34 points - though missed all of his deep shots. It was the locals who got the job done from the outside.
Pogoy eventually ended 5-of-10 from threes, while Calvin Oftana, Rey Nambatac, Glenn Khobuntin, and even Kelly Williams made two apiece.
“They weren’t helping too much on Rondae, then he was getting his points. And then, when they started helping on Rondae, it opened up the others. So Kim [Aurin] made a three, Glenn made a couple, Rey made a couple, aside of course from Roger and Calvin. So hopefully, we can sustain that. That’s the shooting we need,” Reyes said.
When asked if he will play golf again on Sunday for some sort of a ‘pahiyang,’ Reyes answered: “Secret.”
Well, apparently, the Bill Shaw Golf Classic will end on Saturday, but don’t be surprised if Reyes will again be on the course in the morning of Game 2 on Sunday.
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