A LAUGHING MATTER
Rodney Brondial admits that the PBA Philippine Cup is an opportunity for him not just to get longer playing time he rarely sees in import-laden conferences but to make the most of those minutes.
“If there are imports, I have a lot of time to tell my jokes,” Brondial said in Filipino after posting 16 points and 22 rebounds in San Miguel Beer’s 128-89 demolition of anemic Terrafirma in the PBA Philippine Cup on Sunday at Ynares Center II here in Montalban, Rizal.
Brondial saw action for almost 27 minutes before a packed crowd in this municipal town as he gave star center June Mar Fajardo some breather in the Beermen’s expected rout of the Dyip, who have lost for the seventh straight time since a winning start to the all-Filipino tourney.
He was also a +34, meaning that the Beermen outscored the Dyip by 34 whenever he’s on the floor, which keyed their fifth win in seven outings for solo third in the standings.
“My focus really is on giving the intangibles instead of how many points I would score,” Brondial added. “I was actually more conscious of how many rebounds I got or how I could contribute on the defensive end.”
The 34-year-old spent most of the time on the bench during this season’s first two conferences, given the obvious presence of a reinforcement. He appeared in an average of eight minutes and 32 seconds in the Governors’ Cup before it dipped to 6:32 in the Commissioner’s Cup.
Despite that, Brondial has gained a cult following of sorts on social media by delivering funny jokes that begin with the lines “May tropa akong seaman.” (I have a close friend who is a seaman.)
Value to team
Kidding aside, the Beermen see Brondial as a vital cog in their talent-laden squad.
“Ever since, he’s a hard-nosed defender and a rebounder and shows a lot of intensity, even in practice,” San Miguel coach Leo Austria said of Brondial, who was also his player during a UAAP stint, calling the shots for Adamson.
Mo Tautuaa also maximized on the lopsided manner of the contest with 17 points and eight rebounds, while Fajardo had 12 points and 12 rebounds in the expected romp of the Dyip.
It was the worst beating Terrafirma received this conference, exceeding the 38-point setback handed by Meralco earlier in the eliminations.
Terrafirma has now lost by an average of 31.3 points, a miserable discrepancy for the team still unsure of its future amid the possibility of being purchased by the owners of the Zamboanga Valientes.
Rookie Mark Nonoy scored 24 points for the Dyip.
