James Yap. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—James Yap has made a career out of making clutch shots.
That’s why the Rain or Shine swingman won’t lose any sleep over a missed attempt in the final seconds of Game 4 of the Philippine Cup semifinals against Magnolia on Monday.
“I have no regrets in my mind right now knowing I took a good shot which I’m not going to take back even if it missed,” Yap said in Filipino after a 94-91 loss that tied the best-of-seven series at 2-2.
READ: Hotshots blow lead, escape Painters in Game 4 to tie semis series
Yap hit the back iron on his potential game-tying 3-pointer as time ran out before sinking one from almost the same spot seconds earlier that made it a three-point game.
The 37-year-old Yap may have missed the biggest shot of the game but the Elasto Painters wouldn’t have been in the thick of things had it not been for the two-time MVP.
The 6-foot-3 Yap spearheaded his team’s fightback from 21 points down by firing 10 of his game-high 24 points in the fourth quarter.
READ: Ejected Caloy Garcia says Rain or Shine ‘not getting any calls’
His Game 4 performance also ended his scoring slump in the series.
“I realized I was too eager in the first three games. It’s like every time I get the ball, I wanted to score right away instead of just letting the game come to me,” Yap said of his adjustments in Game 4.
“For this game, I just relaxed myself and allowed the game come to me and it’s worked so far.”
Yap hopes to sustain his play in the pivotal Game 5 on Wednesday night.