Denzel Bowles. PBA Images
Purefoods import Denzel Bowles had no idea what kind of night he was going to be in coming into Game 1 of their semifinals series against Talk ‘N Text on Wednesday.
That was until he made his first seven attempts from the field for an 18-point first quarter en route to a career-high 49 points in a 100-94 win.
READ: Purefoods nips Talk N’ Text behind Bowles’ 49 points
“I just came out and was in rhythm early,” Bowles said after his special night. “I just got in that tunnel vision mode and my first couple of shots went in and I just took advantage of it.”
The 25-year-old Bowles went 23-of-36 from the field and grabbed 10 rebounds to outplay his counterpart Ivan Johnson, who had 33 points but scored just five in the first half where the Tropang Texters fell into a deep hole.
“He’s a beast so what you gotta do is to keep him out of the lane and put a hand up on his jump shot. He’s a good player,” Bowles said of Johnson.
Bowles played a game-high 42 minutes and was visibly trying to catch his breath as Talk ‘N Text kept storming back in the fourth quarter. But the former Best Import still found ways to make an impact aside from scoring.
He had two assists and blocked a 3-point attempt by Johnson in a crucial stretch that kept the rallying Texters at bay.
“For sure [I was tired]. But I try to be a two-way player. I’m going to push through with it. I got a lot of heart and that’s all that matters,” he said.
Bowles added the four-day break to give way to the Holy Week will be of great help to a veteran team like Purefoods.
“That’s exactly for our team. We need that. We have guys that are banged up. We love long breaks. We need it for us and we like to practice,” he said.
Bowles’ previous career-high was also against Talk ‘N Text when he scored 39 points in an overtime win in Game 7 of the 2012 Commissioner’s Cup Finals.
He nearly matched the season-high set by Rain or Shine’s Wayne Chism and NLEX’s Al Thornton, who both shot 50 points back in the elimination round last month.
“When I got it going like that, that’s crazy tonight was just my night.”