Mikey Williams. PBA IMAGES
ANTIPOLO—Not yet in his top form, Mikey Williams still came through for TNT on Friday night.
Williams, who has been dealing with an Achilles injury since September, played an instrumental role in the Tropang Giga’s comeback win over the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.
“I’ve been slowly trying to gradually find my rhythm. I feel like I’m not totally at a hundred percent right now but I’m pushing through,” said Williams after the 105-100 victory at Ynares Center here.
“It’s definitely getting better. It started to hurt in the All-Filipino Cup Finals. Me playing through it made it hurt a little more but I’m just gradually trying to get it right.”
Williams said he’s still at 80 percent in his recovery, though, he looked like his old deadly self down the stretch.
Holding a precarious 102-100 lead, Williams nailed a clutch 3-pointer that gave the Tropang Giga a five-point cushion with only 26.3 ticks to go after trailing by as many as 18 points.
“We all trust each other, we got each other’s back every day, we’re all in the trenches. It just comes down to all of us believing in what our coach is saying and sticking through it,” he said.
The 31-year-old guard flirted with a triple-double, collecting 24 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists as TNT improved to 2-0.
Apart from his offensive production, Williams was also commended for his effort on the defensive end.
“Let’s not overlook Mikey’s defense. He made some baskets but his defense tonight was excellent. It was the best I’ve seen in a few months. that’s what I demand from him,” said interim TNT coach Jojo Lastimosa.