Big Beau Belga raining treys?
That’s what happened in Rain or Shine’s recent victory over Air21. Belga, the wide-bodied center of the Painters, went 3-for-3 from downtown in a match that might earn him a new nickname.
Beauwitzki.
Even when adjusting sizes relative to the average size of the league, about the only thing Belga has in common with the German star of newly-crowned NBA champs Dallas Mavericks is his latest fad of hoisting threes.
It starts there, it ends there. No one-leg fadeaways, no left-handed finger-rolls with torn tendons to boot.
For the Rain or Shine faithful, though, that lone and shaky link will be milked to its last drop until coach Yeng Guiao’s temper has had enough of his big man patrolling the perimeter.
The former 7th overall pick in 2008 by Purefoods said he’ll keep lofting treys as long as his team keeps on winning, new nickname or not.
“I’m thankful that someone appreciates my game, it’s flattering,” said Belga, who, fittingly, idolizes Nowitzki.
Known for his grit and inside game, Belga, who stands six-foot-six and sports frame that would shame a refrigerator, made Air21 pay by not showing much respect to his improved outside touch.
“Coach (Yeng Guiao) said that whenever we’re open, we just have to take the shot,” said Belga, who had 18 points on top of nine rebounds and three assists.
And Guiao was not at all surprised with his back-up big man.
“He really has that three-point shot, I really encourage him to take those shots,” said Guiao after the Elasto Painters demolished the Express, 116-94.
For how long? That remains to be seen.
Belga also was an unlikely winner of a three-point shootout recently at a basketball shoe launch, beating the likes of Barangay Ginebra’s JC Intal and San Miguel’s Sunday Salvacion among others.
Guess that should be enough for teams to update their scouting report on the Big Beauwitzki.
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Mark Vincent Giongco is a multimedia sports reporter for INQUIRER.net. Follow him on Twitter.