WELCOME to the PBA playoffs, Tyler Bey.
The Magnolia import got to experience first-hand how games in the Commissioner's Cup quarterfinals are played, thanks in part to the Hotshots' final game in the eliminations against Meralco, which they lost, 85-80, in Iloilo.
The physicality of the game prepared the former Philadelphia 76ers second round pick (2020) in the team's first round encounter with TNT Hotshots on Wednesday night.
Calm and composed but still intense, Bey finished with a game-high 41 points and 13 rebounds as the top seeded Hotshots dispatched the Tropang Giga, 109-94, and advanced to the semifinals.
"I just kept my composure and handle the physicality, non-calls, and bad calls," said the import after the game at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
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And he just looked back at the way Meralco played against him and learned how to carry himself in his first playoffs stint in Asia's first ever play-for-pay league.
"I learned from the last game against Meralco. It was a physical game and I was frustrated," the 25-year-old Bey admitted. "I learned how to handle adversity and just kept my energy up. I'm a big part of the team and I know my responsibility and I just felt I stepped up mentally-wise and just tried to keep it going."
Added coach Chito Victolero, "He learned the physicality and learned about the (PBA) playoffs."
Bey even brought his game to the next level at the start of the quarterfinals.
He hit a perfect 16-of-16 from the foul line to tie the franchise's all-time record for most free throws made without a miss in a game originally held by former franchise player Alvin Patrimonio, now team manager of the Hotshots.
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"I worked on my free throws the last couple of days and it showed a lot (tonight)," was Bey's simple explanation for his 100 percent accuracy from the free throw line.(RG)
