The undermanned TNT Tropang 5G had no business beating the talented, fully healthy Converge FiberXers on Tuesday. Rey Nambatac would have none of it.
The former PBA Finals MVP took over in the fourth quarter, firing 18 of his team-high 30 points and hitting the game-winning triple at the buzzer to lead TNT to a scintillating 110-107 thriller of a win over Converge at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Something to Prove
After the game, Nambatac downplayed his sublime masterclass, pointing out that he was simply stepping up as TNT’s players kept going down with injuries. That being the case, the artist also known as StingRey acknowledged there’s added pressure on him to deliver given his standing within the team as one of its leaders.
“Next man up lang. ‘Yun ang character ko sa game na ‘to and sa team namin. Injured na nga si Jordan [Heading], injured pa si Roger [Pogoy], so wala nang ibang pwede mag-step up jan kundi ‘yung nasa loob nalang ng court. Isa na ko dun,” Nambatac told reporters. “Syempre, as one of the leaders of this team, kelangan ko ipakita sa teammates ko na even though kulang-kulang tayo, lalaban pa rin tayo hangga’t may pyesa.”
TNT was already without Calvin Oftana, Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser, and Jayson Castro, who are all still recovering from injury, and Kelly Williams, who is tending to a personal matter. Then, in the third quarter, the Tropa lost two more key cogs in Heading and Pogoy, who sustained shoulder and knee injuries, respectively.
It didn’t matter. The Tropa still had Rey Nambatac.
Nambatac Lets Loose
Equally important, Nambatac was armed with a realization he was determined to play out: that hoops is a game meant to be enjoyed. It is, according to the 6-foot-2 guard, something he lost track of as pressure consumed him.
“Hindi naman nawala ‘yung confidence ko. I just put too much pressure on myself talaga, to the point na naligaw na ‘yung laro ko. Pero to be honest, hindi naman talaga nawala,” Nambatac admitted. “Good thing I learned so much from the last conference… Sabi nga ni coach sa huddle namin, just enjoy the game… ‘Yun talaga ‘yung naging realization ko, na at the end of the day, it’s just basketball. You just have to enjoy it and be free. Be fearless…”
On Tuesday, up against a loaded Converge squad parading a prolific import in Jamaal Franklin, the Tropa played fearless basketball. Rey Nambatac was the most fearless of them all.
