Jeron Teng. PBA IMAGES
It wasn’t the triumphant return Jeron Teng was expecting with AMA Online Education.
Coming back after his one-week foray with Mighty Sports in Dubai, the La Salle star still had his usual numbers but looked out of sync as the Titans fell to Wangs Basketball, 98-93 on Monday.
“I had lots of turnovers,” he quipped.
Six turnovers, to be exact, as his miscues added to the 19 AMA committed, putting a dent on the 25 points, seven rebounds, and two assists he posted in the game.
But Teng’s time away from the team wasn’t really wasted as he looked at it as a chance for him to further hone his skills against taller and more experienced players in the international stage.
“I’ve really learned a lot from it. It’s a big difference playing against international players, and of course, I was teammates with the other veterans and people I look up to in the PBA. I really picked up a lot from Dubai,” he said.
Teaming up with the likes of two-time PBA Most Valuable Player Willie Miller, PBA studs Chris Tiu and JC Intal, as well as imports Justin Brownlee and Marcus Douthit, Teng embraced the challenge, averaging 4.4 points in the first five games before exploding for 22 markers in Mighty’s swan song.
But Teng failed to carry that scintillating performance over in his 2017 PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup return, admitting that the Couriers really had a terrific gameplan against his side.
“Maybe the other team really prepared well and came out to play today. We lacked the energy and it’s definitely a learning experience for us,” he said.
Teng, though, vowed to perform better for the Titans’ last game against Cafe France next Monday, where they will be gunning for their sixth victory in nine games to secure a seat in the quarterfinals.
“It’s unfortunate, but we’ll be better for our next game,” he said.