Romeo Travis vs Arizona Reid. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
San Miguel Beer’s Arizona Reid took losing the Best Import of the Conference award to Alaska’s Romeo Travis on Sunday hard.
Reid came close to his third Best Import award after winning it in the 2011 and 2014 PBA Governors’ Cup while suiting up for Rain or Shine but Travis, to the surprise of many and even himself, took it home in a tight race.
READ: Alaska import Romeo Travis beats AZ Reid for Best Import award
“Congratulations to Travis. It’s tough, real tough,” Reid admitted. “I don’t understand it, but he deserved it. It is what it is.”
Travis helped the Aces clinch the top spot and make another Finals stint averaging 24 points, 12.9 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.2 blocks per game through the semifinals while shooting 52% from the field and 80% from the free throw line.
Reid, on the other hand, normed 28.2 points, 10.4 rebounds 5.5 assists and 1.2 steals.
The 30-year-old Travis wound up with the award but Reid has had the better Finals series so far. Reid scored 32 points to lead the Beermen to a 108-78 rout last Friday in Game 1 before putting up 37 points in a comeback victory in Game 2.
With the win, San Miguel Beer is now two wins away from its second championship this season.
READ: San Miguel snatches Game 2 from Alaska, takes 2-0 lead
Reid, however, doesn’t want to look too far ahead with Alaska capable of coming back in the series.
“It doesn’t mean much. We have to focus and be ready for Game 3,” he said.
San Miguel needed to rally from nine points down in the final seven minutes and it was Reid’s leadership that helped stabilize his team during those anxious moments.
“Always keep your composure. I told them ‘don’t panic, five minutes is a long time,'” Reid recalled. “Tonight, I felt like we grew a lot as a team when Alaska was up nine points. We’re mentally tough.”
The Beermen game started and ended with Reid, who had 20 points in the first half and seven in the closing period in a performance where it seemed as if he wanted to make a point.
But whether or not Reid was making a statement after the recognition as best import ended up with Travis instead of him, Beermen head coach Leo Austria believes that Reid is doing whatever it takes for the ultimate goal.
“Before the awarding, we know that win or lose, what’s important for him is to win a championship because before he two Best Import awards but he never won a championship,” Austria said. “So I think the championship is better than to become the best import of the conference.” CFC