Photo by Tristan Tamayo/ INQUIRER.net
Agitated with the way Star was defending him, San Miguel import Charles Rhodes knew he had to keep his cool as he waited for the perfect opportunity to pounce.
“I just keep getting in foul trouble but I know how to play when in foul trouble, I know how to play smart. Then once I get in foul trouble like that, I just got to be smart for my team,” said Rhodes.
Finally, with San Miguel on the lead and a fastbreak opportunity opening up, he let all of his angst out.
READ: Rhodes fires 29 as San Miguel holds off Star
Running the open floor, Rhodes received a pass from Marcio Lassiter and punished the hapless defense of Allein Maliksi and Chris Javier for the thunderous two-handed throwdown in the fourth quarter.
“There’s a lot of anger in that dunk right there,” he said, venting all of his frustrations from the early non-calls in that slam. “It’s hard but I’m smart. I’m a veteran and I got to do what’s best for the team. If I lose my cool, I get a technical and it costs us a couple of points. I don’t want to give the other team momentum, I just keep my head and play smart.”
Though his dunk took the spotlight, Rhodes’ overall performance was also a sight to behold as his 29 points, 10 rebounds, and a block carried the Beermen to a 103-97 victory over the Hotshots for their third straight win.
READ: Victolero staying patient with testy Mitchell
The 31-year-old said his stellar performance was a product of a consistently improving relationship with San Miguel’s tried and tested core.
“We’re getting chemistry real well. I just got to keep working hard on practice and work hard off the court with my teammates, keep the chemistry to 100-percent. I’m sure we’ll have it.”
Despite leading the Beermen to a league-best 3-0 record, Rhodes believes he’s still far from his peak form.
“I’m not even 100-percent yet, I’m just at 80-percent,” he said.
And once Rhodes finally gets to his desired form, he vows to hand out more posters with his stunning slams.
“Once I get to 100-percent, we’re gonna do a lot of that. You got to get used to it cause I’m gonna do it a lot,” he said.