Joe Devance —PHOTO COURTESY OF PBA IMAGES
SMART CLARK GIGA CITY—With Barangay Ginebra on the cusp of a first PBA Philippine Cup crown in more than a decade, Joe Devance has a great chance of tying a record being held by Rafi Reavis for the most championships won by an active player.
Devance, whose career started when the Ginebra franchise last won an all-Filipino crown in 2007, can celebrate an 11th championship if the Gin Kings do business right against walking wounded TNT on Wednesday in Game 5 at Angeles University Foundation powered by Smart 5G here.
But the record is farthest from his mind.
He has his focus fixed on the task at hand as the Kings take a 3-1 lead against the Tropang Giga, who are likely to be without two vital cogs in Bobby Ray Parks Jr. and Jayson Castro.
“I’m not really thinking about that yet,” he told reporters here after being asked about the feat. “I’m just thinking about the next game and [thinking] of how to try and take care of business.”
Devance has indeed been about business lately, and Ginebra’s Game 4 win on Sunday night was a testament to that as he took care of his primary task of making life hard for Poy Erram, the Tropang Giga’s big man.
“Coach [Tim Cone] told me that it will be my task to keep him off the boards and battle him [in the middle],” he said. “[Erram’s] a great player. He has a lot of energy, he’s smart and good at getting tips off of rebounds.”
Sure, the numbers indicate that Devance barely put the clamps on Erram, but he did manage to contribute beyond the stats sheets.
While the 38-year-old high-IQ forward finished with eight points, 10 rebounds and four assists, Devance also helped the Kings stay composed when TNT threatened to turn the game around.
If not on business mode, Devance is busy documenting Ginebra’s campaign through his vlogs on YouTube.
“I’m doing it for the memories, something that we can look back on, something to give the fans,” Devance said.
“I think it’s a great experience and it’s something that we’ll always remember for the rest of our lives.” INQ