THE BOSS DELIVERS
What better time for The Boss to reinvigorate the Aces than in Game 1 of their best-of-7 semifinal series against Rain or Shine.
Thoss just missed out on a double-double with his 14 points and nine rebounds, and recorded his best game since returning from a foot injury.
But despite the strong showing, the 33-year-old center admitted that the injury is still bugging him.
“It’s not fully recovered but I’m just trying to play through it right now. My shots were going in so I kept on staying aggressive,” he said.
Good thing for Thoss is that in his absence, teammates up front like Eric Menk and Vic Manuel have stepped up to support the energetic Calvin Abueva in the battle off the boards.
“They’re still doing their job. I’m just helping and contributing a little bit. I’m glad that I have these guys in putting up big numbers inside,” praised the 6-foot-8 center.
But more than anything, Thoss is just happy that Alaska gained a measure of retribution for all the heartaches dealt them by Rain or Shine in the past.
“It feels good. You can’t forget a game like that, being blown out by 50, but we remember that they’re a talented and strong team so we can’t take anything for granted,” he said.
However, Thoss knows it’s just one game.
“It’s just one game. It’s a best-of-7 series. We know they’re going to come up stronger in the next game. I’m sure it’s going to be more intense in the next game so we just have to be patient and execute our game better. We’ve got to stay humble and continue to grow.” (RL)
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