Nonoy Baclao with Coach Alex Compton. TRISTAN RAFAEL TAMAYO
Coming in for Calvin Abueva, not many people expected Nonoy Baclao to even make the slightest impact in Alaska’s Game 2 semis duel against Star.
After all, the five-year journeyman will be replacing the Aces’ resident energizer bunny, who had to sit on the bench after picking up his fifth foul of the game in the third period.
But lo and behold and the top pick of the 2010 draft made a huge splash, pouring in 10 points and five rebounds, all in the second half, for Alaska as it took a 2-0 series lead in its best-of-5 series on Friday.
All Baclao wanted to do was to help his team’s cause of getting to the hill first, saying, “I just wanted to give the team what it needs when I was there. I was lucky, too, that my shots fell.”
The former Ateneo Blue Eagle admits that he just made the most of the playing time given to him by coach Alex Compton, and his long wait for a chance to shine has finally paid off.
“Coach Alex has been telling me to be patient. In God’s time, my time will come where I will be the one helping our team,” he said.
Playing on his sixth team in five seasons, Baclao said he felt at home with Alaska, which he joined before the Commissioner’s Cup.
“This is a family-oriented team. We’re ok with our coach’s system and everyone’s humble, even guys like Calvin and Vic (Manuel). They’re fun to be with and they’re all humble,” he said.
And as the Aces stand on the verge of entering the 2015 PBA Governors’ Cup Finals, that humility is what Baclao said which will anchor the squad for Game 3.
“We’re looking at it one game at a time. We just want to focus on the task at hand,” he said, admitting he also felt the pressure of delivering in the next game.
But Baclao knows that if it’s meant for them to be victorious, they will be the ones who will reign at the end of the day.
“Actually, I’m a bit pressured. But pressure is privilege. In God’s grace, if it’s for us, we’ll get this series,” he said.