“FIRST TIME KO YUN!”
Sometimes, its funny how the basketball gods write things. And sometimes, the biggest shots come to those who least expect it.
Meralco’s Gary David tied the game at 86 with 8.6 ticks left to play. Rain or Shine’s Paul Lee, knowing they could still win the game, tried his best and released a three-pointer. But the shot missed and as the ball made its way down the floor, it bounced off of John Wilson’s leg and went out of bounds.
The clock read 0.7 seconds, and coach Yeng Guiao, relieved to have been given a second chance to steal the game, called a timeout.
“I just felt that one great shot deserves another,” he said.
The no nonsense coach drew up a play which primarily saw Jeff Chan or Beau Belga as the first option. He also wanted JR Quinahan to set a pick for Paul Lee, who will cut straight to the basket to get the ball.
Then, the buzzer sounded.
Gabe Norwood, the designated inbounder for the final play, only had one thing in his mind.
“I have to give it to who is open,” he said. “That’s my idea. Just get the ball inbounded and give us a chance to win the game.”
With coach Ryan Gregorio’s stingy defense written all over the play, shooters Chan and Belga had a hard time getting free from their defenders. On the left side of the court, Quinahan set the screen and got Lee freed for the cut.
“Ang ineexpect namin kung hindi, alley-oop, ibibigay nila sa labas. Kasi 0.7 seconds, wala ka nang magagawa dun eh,” David said.
The defense switched men, placing El Granada on Quinahan. This was exactly what coach Yeng had in his mind.
“Sabi ni coach Yeng sa akin, pagkabigay ko ng back pick, sure na mag-switch yung depensa, so guard yung mapupunta sa akin,” Quinahan recalled. “Sabi ni coach, ‘Maliit yung bantay mo. Pwede kang tumanggap ng bola’.”
But Guiao left one thing clear in his instructions to the five inside the floor, “Tira nyo lang.”
Those words rang in Quinahan’s head all throughout the play.
Growing up in Cebu and honing his basketball skills, Quinahan always dreamt of big moments like this.
“Matagal ko na ring dream na magawa ko (yung game winner) sa isang game,” he said. “Syempre, player ka, at part na sa pangarap mong magawa yun. Mahirap yun eh.”
And now, with the clock showing less than a second, Norwood saw Quinahan backpedaling to the back of the arc and passed the ball to him.
“They took away Jeff, and they took away Paul. JR got to an open spot so I just put it somewhere where he could shoot it,” Norwood said. “When I passed that ball, I knew my job was done.”
With the play materializing in front of the Elasto Painters’ bench, Ryan Arana stood up and saw the ball go to Quinahan. He was ready for another five minutes of basketball.
“Handa akong mag-overtime. Wala kaming play except sa kung sino man ang makakatanggap ng bola, tira lang,” Arana said.
Quinahan said, “Wala na kong choice kasi kung di man ma-shoot yun, mago-overtime din eh.”
As he got the ball from Norwood, Quinahan rose for a shot while David tried his best to at least get a touch of the leather. The former Green Lancer had his body fading away from David right in front of coach Yeng, and at the top of his jump, released the ball to the heavens.
“Sabi ko bahala na. Basta sa isip ko ititira ko to,” he said.
As he landed back to earth, Quinahan saw his whole game fade right through his eyes.
“Buong game, pangit yung stats ko. Two points pa lang,” he said.
As the ball got to the top of its arc, Norwood stood right under the basket and saw where the ball would land.
“Midway through the shot, I had a good idea that it was going in,” he said.
As the buzzer sounded, the ball did sail through the net, sending the estatic Big Dome crowd up on its feet.
“Swerte lang kasi sa lahat ng tinira ko, yun pa yung pumasok,” Quinahan said.
Arana could no longer contain himself when the shot went in.
“Di ko rin in-expect na mashu-shoot. Sobrang nagulat ako sa tira ni JR kasi unang una, alam namin ang bagal ng release niya,” he said. “Kaya nung nashoot, wala na kong ibang naisip kundi tumakbo sa kanya at i-congrats siya. Niyakap namin at pinagbabatukan.”
“Ganun sa amin eh. Parang magkakapatid. Kung may nagawa yung isa na maganda, yayakapin mo at ico-congrats mo,” Arana said.
Norwood ran as fast as he can to the lockers. but halfway through, he looked back and wondered why his teammates were not following him.
“JR made it happen. I felt that the shot was good, so I tried to get out of the court,” he said.
On his way back, he was telling the idle Petron players that the shot was good, and he knew there was no more reason to review the play.
But Quinahan knew the procedure.
“Tinignan ko pa tapos nung nakita kong pumasok, nagulat ako. Di pa rin ako nag-celebrate kasi may review pa. Kaya late yung reaction ko eh. Baka di umabot sa oras,” he said.
David walked back to his coaches as the officials reviewed the play, but in the back of his mind, he knew the worst was about to happen.
“Big shot na lang yun eh,” he said. “Pero nag-relax din kami, Nag-relax din ako kaya medyo masakit yung pagkatalong ganun.”
And the referees made it official. Quinahan’s three-point bomb was good. Rain or Shine won the ballgame, 89-86.
“That’s a great shot taken by Gary earlier, and even a bigger shot taken by JR because its the winning shot,” Guiao said. “Kumbaga, one tsamba deserves another.
But for Quinahan, its not just luck. His boyhood dream has just been realized.
“First time ko yun,” Quinahan said.
And first times one never forgets. (RL)
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