There were some unsung heroes for the Star Hotshots, keys that helped their team overcome crowd-favorite Barangay Ginebra in Game 5 of the 2017 PBA Philippine Cup semifinals.
Among others, Rodney Brodial and Rafi Reavis stepped up big time.
Reavis was chosen best player of the game with 17 points, thirteen boards and two blocks while Brodial made most of his eleven minutes with 8 points, three rebounds and a block.
It was Star's collective defensive ploy, spearheaded by Rafi and Rodney, that allowed their team to be in a good position to run the their offensive play on the other end of the floor.
"Yung depensa, nag-commit talaga lahat. Nagsimula sa starters to the second group at yung 'magic bunot' na si Rodney Brodial. Yung effort niya nakita talaga namin," said Lee of Brodial.
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"We praise him at noong pagkatapos ng game 'kinongrats' talaga namin siya kasi kung makikita mo siya yung naglift samin noong first quarter hindi kami maka-shoot. Noong na-shoot niya yung three-pointer, ok hayun… nabuhayan."
With Reavis and Brondial stepping up, Star's defensive anchor, Marc Pingris, carried a lighter load. His rest time on the bench became less worrisome.
"Maganda yung rotation ng depensa namin at nakakatira kami sa labas. Nagpapasalamat din ako sa mga second big man naming na si Rodney, Rafi… maganda yung mga nilaro habang nasa labas ako. Masaya ako na nagstep-up sila," said Pingris.
On the other hand, veteran Rafi Reavis wants people to know that this is just what he does everyday.
"You know everybody has been saying I stepped up here and there and it is only because of the numbers you see on the stat sheet. I also like to remind people that a lot of things I do on the court, they are not going to show up in the stat sheet. That is the role that I accepted," says Reavis.
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"I think, as a veteran and a team player, you need guys like that on every team. I am willing to do the dirty work. I may be at the right place at the right time for a put-back or make some free throws and get a shot here, grab a rebound, I just do whatever it takes to win. If I get a few bonus points here and there, I roll with it. I don’t care about the stats, all I care it is the win," he adds.
Story by: Ernest Hernandez
Photo credit: Peter Baltazar
