Calm during storms
ANTIPOLO—Kelly Williams has played long enough to know that composure matters in any game, particularly in the PBA Finals.
So when TNT weathered one storm after the other in the fourth quarter, it was Williams who made the big plays on both ends that enabled the Tropang 5G to hold off the San Miguel Beermen, 96-91, and take command at the start of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.
“My role is to keep everybody steady,” Williams said after Wednesday’s series opener at Ynares Center here.
When it mattered the most, Williams endured having to defend June Mar Fajardo while also dishing off two key passes that resulted in cushion dunks from Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser.
The 43-year-old veteran finished with 15 points, nine rebounds and three assists to emerge as the lead star on a night when a lot of TNT players came through.
Williams played his first Finals in 2008, when the defunct Sta. Lucia franchise beat Purefoods for the all-Filipino crown. Nine more titles soon followed, all with TNT, and Williams wants to add one more.
For that to happen, he’ll once again have to be the veteran presence that coach Chot Reyes had asked for ever since he came out of retirement four years ago.
“I was reminded during [Ranidel de Ocampo’s] jersey retirement of how big it is to have someone who is just calm in the storms,” he said. “So I wanted to make sure I come into this, not just this game, but in this whole series with that energy and trust that our shooters are going to shoot, our guys are going to do what we need to and make sure we handle our premium, which is to play defense and play with a lot of energy.”
TNT took the driver’s seat despite almost squandering a 17-point halftime lead, and Reyes will make sure it would fully address its 19 turnovers that translated into 25 points for San Miguel on Friday as it tries to make it two in a row.
“Our offense was flawless, our defense was great,” said Reyes. “It’s just that we committed 19 turnovers.”
Battling flu
Simon Enciso hit eight of his 10 points in the first quarter in a surprise starting role, while Henry Galinato contributed 12 points, apart from the defensive effort that slowly made him a fixture on the TNT rotation.
Jordan Heading, who was battling a flu and was a game-time decision, came off the bench to produce 13 points and eight rebounds, even as Poy Erram scored just six, but on two threes during a second-quarter pullaway. TNT was also a plus-16 when Erram was on the floor.
Fajardo was still able to put up 24 points and 17 rebounds, Mo Tautuaa scored 22 and CJ Perez added 16 points, seven rebounds, six assists and two steals.
But one of the players who stood out during the semifinal conquest of Barangay Ginebra was as cold as the windy conditions outside of the venue, with Don Trollano going 1-of-7 for four points.
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