GETTING HIGH ON SWATTING ENEMY SHOTS
There’s a reason why Hamady N’Diaye is one of the most feared men in the paint in PBA hardcourts.
Blackwater learned that the hard way on Tuesday, as the Senegalese big man swatted nine Elite shots in Kia’s 84-76 double overtime victory.
N’Diaye was bullish in that game, almost recording a triple-double with his 16 points, 23 rebounds and nine blocks. And he admits that it’s just his way of bouncing back after a paltry showing in the Carnival’s last game against NLEX.
“I was just trying to find myself again because last game was kind of a down game for me,” he said. “I just wanted to be aggressive and do what I do best, which is play defense. I just wanted to focus on my defense and the let the offense come through.”
And that defense definitely delivered big in the close contest, with N’Diaye being the catalyst for the impenetrable defense Kia had down the stretch.
“Once I got going and got my second wind, I was okay. It’s just a fight. At that time of the game, all you’re thinking about is winning the game, so you try to give everything you have, show the example to your teammates so that they fight for everything just like I did,” said N’Diaye.
The 7-footer, though, disagrees with what the stat sheet says.
“I do think I had a triple-double. I’m going to watch the film, because I do think I had at least ten blocks,” he said. “But it is what it is. It’s just effort. I don’t count those things. I just play a whole game and at the end of the game, I know everything I have.”
And rejecting enemy projectiles is definitely at the top.
N’Diaye said, “That’s what I do best. The best thing I do is block shots. To get nine blocks is amazing. There’s no better joy for me than to know that my opponent is not scoring on me. Shot blocking is the icing on the cake.” (RL)
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