Calvin Abueva and Titan Ultra almost had the game in the bag. But Rain or Shine's Anton Asistio had other plans in their PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup encounter.
Anton Asistio was already warming the bench when Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao called his number Sunday night, Oct. 26.
There were only 4.3 ticks left to play, but that was more than he needed to help the Elasto Painters complete a come-from-behind 112-111 win over Titan Ultra in the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup.
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“'Yong sa akin, focus lang. It's just me and the free throw line. Wala silang lahat magagawa basta't nag-focus lang ako. I was focusing on the first one muna,” said Asistio post-match at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
[RELATED STORY: PBA: Anton Asistio's clutch 4 FTs lift Rain or Shine past Titan Ultra]
Anton Asistio delivers in crunch time
After receiving the ball in front of the RoS bench, Asistio dribbled left and baited last season’s All-Defensive Team member Joshua Munzon as he was taking the shot from four-point distance.
The pint-sized guard then canned the four free throws laced with pressure.
“Pero I had a feeling na magpa-foul sila. So noong na-feel kong magpa-foul, binato ko na lang,” Asistio said.
“Hindi four ['yong play] pero para sa akin talaga. It just so happened na nandoon na ako sa four-point line.”
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Joshua Munzon of Titan Ultra fouls Rain or Shine's Anton Asistio, leading to the four game-winning freebies. | Photo: PBA Images
Asked if the nerves ever got to him during that pressure-packed moment, the former Ateneo cager admitted it did, albeit briefly.
But Asistio also did not want to let down Guiao, who trusted him with the ball in the most important play of the match.
“Malaking bagay talaga 'yong trust na ibinibigay sa akin ni Coach Yeng. Siyempre, kailangan kong suklian 'yon. Thankfully, feeling ko, nasuklian ko naman,” Asistio said.
Asistio finished with 11 points, none bigger than his four charities at endgame. He also had two rebounds and an assist in more than 14 minutes of play.
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Like most sportswriters, Jan Ballesteros once dreamed of becoming a professional hooper. But he learned the hard way that it’s not for everyone.
He continues to be involved in the sport he loves, but this time as a member of the PBA Press Corps. Aside from primarily covering the PBA, he is also assigned to cover Gilas Pilipinas.