Joshua Smith vs June Mar Fajardo. PBA IMAGES
Joshua Smith came up with the game-winning basket despite playing through a foot injury to lift TNT over San Miguel Beer, 104-102, for a 1-0 headstart in the 2017 PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals Wednesday night at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Smith, who was noticeably limping, hit a hook shot over the Beermen’s three-time PBA MVP June Mar Fajardo with 1.6 seconds left to win it for the KaTropa.
“It’s good that Joshua had the presence of mind to attack June Mar. They’re actually denying everyone so he really didn’t have a choice but to go in,” said TNT head coach Nash Racela. “He has a big heart.”
“It’s always crucial to get the first win. We wanted to get that first win and we did it tonight without Ranidel and Ryan and that’s something that is very important to us.”
Smith, who is still listed as day-to-day, finished with 21 points and nine rebounds in just under 27 minutes.
TNT missed the services of its key veterans Ranidel de Ocampo (flu) and Ryan Reyes, whom Racela said is dealing with a “minor injury,” but the KaTropa still had their main man Jayson Castro and a fast-rising star in Roger Pogoy to pick up the slack.
Castro had a near triple-double with 14 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists while Pogoy, who is playing in his first game in the finals, showed no signs of first-time jitters with a team-high 27 points on 5-of-9 3-pointers.
The Beermen rallied from 10 points down in the fourth quarter with Charles Rhodes tying the score at 99 with 1:35 left and Chris Ross knotting the count again at 102 with 7.6 ticks remaining before Smith’s winner.
Rhodes got off to a hot start before cooling off the rest of the way. He had 31 points but 21 of which came in the opening period and went scoreless in the middle quarters.
Fajardo added 18 points and 13 rebounds while Chris Ross also posted a double-double with 11 points and 12 assists with seven rebounds to boot.
Racela expects de Ocampo and Reyes back for Game 2 on Friday night also at the Big Dome.
