MANILA – Rain or Shine Elasto Painters’ James Yap repaid his coach’s trust with a vintage showing over GlobalPort Batang Pier in their do-or-die 2018 PBA Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Rain or Shine won, 103-97 on Thursday.
After being curiously benched in the fourth quarter of their 113-114 loss to Batang Pier in Game 1 on Tuesday, Yap bounced back the other night with 27 points, including career-high tying seven three-point conversions.
“I want to say thank you kay (Painters) coach Caloy (Garcia) sa tiwala na binigay niya sa akin,” the Escalante City, Negros Occidental-native Yap said. “Basta ako naman ready lang palagi kapag nabibigyan ng playing time.”
Yap admitted he felt bad when Garcia chose to bench him in the entire fourth quarter of their Game 1 defeat despite him having 16 points in the first three quarters.
“Nag-text si coach sa akin, nagpaliwanag sa decision niya sa pag-bench sa akin. Sabi ko sa kanya, move on na,” said Yap. “Ganun naman lagi. Nagpapakundisyon ka lagi, kailangan ready ka lang kapag pangalan mo ang itatawag. Kailangan mag-deliver.”
“Kaya lang, sayang lang (noong Game 1). Masarap ‘yung feeling na iba ‘yung galaw, iba lahat eh. Hindi kasi ako player na magsasabi na ‘ready na ako.’ Hindi ako ganun eh kaya siguro nakalimutan tayo,” he added.
Garcia said the limited playing time the 36-year-old Yap was getting in their games this conference was due to him pacing the two-time PBA MVP and to avoid him from incurring injuries.
“The whole conference, he was playing good. Siyempre, from time to time, I get word that when he starts slowing down in the game, I just don’t want him to get injured. But then, kung larga, larga na. It’s a do-or-die game, he stepped up big,” Garcia said.
Now on his first semifinals appearance since being traded from Magnolia Hotshots last year, Yap said he is excited especially with them facing Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings.
“Siyempre masaya kasi first time as a ROS player na makaka-semis ako. Sobrang excited na ako,” said Yap. “Masarap rin talunin ang Ginebra dahil marami magagalit sayo.”/PN
