JUSTINE BALTAZAR struts his wares.
TAKING a perfect pass and seeing an opening, Justine Baltazar soared and slammed it down on Wednesday night.
It was a perfect embodiment of how hungry he was to win in Game One of the PBA 49th Season Commissioner’s Cup.
“Great pass to me, I just slammed it home. I didn’t even expect Kuya (Beau) Belga to jump with me, but good thing the shot went in,” said Baltazar.
At the 3:59 mark, Baltazar put the finishing touches on Converge’s victory with a thunderous dunk over Belga. The slam, assisted by Converge import Cheick Diallo, capped an 18-4 run that transformed a 104-104 deadlock into a commanding 122-108 lead.
The dunk was just a glimpse of the intensity that fueled Baltazar in his first-ever playoff game. Converge had their sights firmly set on taking the series lead over Rain or Shine, and Baltazar wasn’t about to let the opportunity slip away.
“We really wanted to win,” said the No. 1 pick of the 49th season. “We focused on preparing for Rain or Shine. We were down big in the first half, but in the second half, our coaches really worked with us. We stuck to our system, and we just followed it.”
Baltazar couldn’t help but smile after his strong playoff debut, contributing 13 points and six rebounds. “It’s such a great feeling,” he said.
“My first PBA playoffs and we’re in the quarterfinals. We wouldn’t have been able to do this without the help of my teammates and coaches. We’re all in this together, and we’re focused on Rain or Shine.”
But despite their 1-0 series lead, the former La Salle standout was quick to remind everyone: this series is far from over.
“We can’t afford to be complacent,” he warned. “We’re still focused on Friday’s game. We’ll keep working, no rest for us. We’re not relaxing. We have to stay sharp and keep attacking Rain or Shine.”
