Rey Suerte topscored for the Blackwater Bossing but had sorry misses from the line in their defeat to the NLEX Road Warriors in the PBA Season 48 Philippine Cup on Wednesday, March 13.
In a seesaw battle that can go either way, missing free throws in the final stretch is a mortal sin.
But such was what happened in Blackwater’s 103-97 loss to NLEX in the PBA Season 48 Philippine Cup at the Philsports Arena in Pasig on Wednesday, March 13.
Rey Suerte muffed five of his six charities in the final 2:05 which eventually led to the Bossing's sustaining of their first defeat after a surprise 3-0 start.
“Mental na lang 'yun,” Suerte admitted post-match, adding he felt the nerves after missing the first two.
Fortunately for the former University of the East gunner, the veterans stepped in to comfort him after the game.
Count fellow Red Warriors alumnus James Yap among them.
[ALSO READ: PBA: Jong Uichico reveals why he called shots for NLEX in win over Blackwater]
Yap, who had a fair share of clutch shots and misses in a decorated career highlighted by two MVP plums and a Grand Slam, gave the young buck a tap on the back.
“Sabi niya, OK lang 'yan. Ganyan talaga. [It's] part of growing up,” said Suerte when asked what Yap told him after the game.
Suerte was the one who actually kept the Bossing in the match in the late stages, splitting his freebies to allow the Bossing to draw level at 92-all with 2:05 left to play.
He, however, misfired the next four from there, which even his trey at the 43.2 mark that allowed Blackwater to threaten at 97-100 could not atone for as Anthony Semerad and Robert Bolick took their chance from the three-point range, combining for three crucial triples in that stretch to wrap up the match for NLEX.
Suerte has no other recourse now but to move on and learn from this late-game mishap.
He could quickly apply the lesson in Blackwater's next assignment against Terrafirma at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila on Saturday, March 16.
Game time is at 3 p.m.