Lesson learned for rookie Grey after crucial miss
Almost the hero, Jonathan Grey rued the crucial misses in the end game en route to Meralco’s 81-79 loss to Alaska on Wednesday.
The rookie connected on a huge drive with 15.1 seconds left to put the Bolts up, 79-78, and drew the foul.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t make the most of the opportunity, missing the freebie and giving the Aces one last hope, something which Alaska pounced on as Chris Banchero nailed the go-ahead three with 4.6 ticks remaining.
“Kung na-shoot ko yung free throw, baka iba ang nangyari so sayang. Pero hindi ko naman lahat kasalanan yun eh. Ayaw ko sisihin sarili ko. Baka mawalan ako ng kumpyansa,” he said.
But it’s not just him, as Meralco collectively struggled to cash in on its freebies, going on a paltry 5-of-16 shooting clip from the charity stripe, miles away from its 74.7-percent shooting average for the season.
Grey also said that he wouldn’t have shied away from taking the last shot, positioning himself at the right corner in that final sequence.
“Bakit hindi? Kung binigay sa akin, eh di i-grab mo na yung chance,” he said, as Chris Newsome decided to take it strong to the rack before being met by Alaska’s defenders down low. “Ok lang. I respect the decision. Tsaka rookie lang ako eh, so ready lang ako lagi.”
Though defeated, Grey still ended the game with eight points, five rebounds, and three assists in 20 minutes of action. He would also rather look at this experience as a memorable lesson as he hopes to further build his confidence as the 2017 PBA Philippine Cup continues.
“Wag ko na lang isipin siguro. Matuto ka na lang din sa mga ganoong nangyari ,” he said.
Grey ended: “Iniisip ko lang nandito ako para maglaro ng basketball, so pag pinasok ka, ito yung love mo na laro eh, so i-enjoy mo lang. Mahirap maglaro pag ganito na hindi consistent yung playing time mo, na hindi mo alam kung kalian ka bubunutin ni coach. Alam ng lahat ng players yun na mahirap kumuha ng kumpyansa, pero ako, ready lang lagi. Nandyan naman yung mga coach namin na binibigyan naman ako ng confidence, so matuto lang sa mistakes ko, be positive lang, at bawi na lang next game.”
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