James Yap calm and collected as he faces former team in winner-take-all match

James Yap. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

ANTIPOLO CITY, Philippines—James Yap has had too many playoff series that he knows how to deal with the pressure that comes with a Game 7.

Rain or Shine is headed to a winner-take-all decider against Yap’s former team Magnolia in the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals after the Elasto Painters took Game 6 91-81 at Ynares Center here.

Yap said he’s not putting too much thought on the fact that he’ll be playing in a Game 7 against the team he’s won all seven of PBA titles.

“Of course I’m excited for this and what I will do is just relax myself and I wouldn’t think much that this is Game 7 and I’m facing my former team,” said Yap in Filipino. “I just have to show up, not think of anything else, and just play.”

Yap finished with 16 points and seven rebounds in Game 6 against the Hotshots who still has players from when the now Elasto Painter was still with the franchise.

Players like Marc Pingris, Mark Barroca, and PJ Simon are still with Magnolia and these are the same players Yap played with during the 2013-2014 Grand Slam season.

Yap said he’d rather treat the do-or-die bout as just another regular elimination game.

“I’ll take this as a regular game, I will just give it my all,” said Yap. “Once Game 7 starts, we have to play as a team, help each other because you can’t go out there on your own.”