THERE is no defense against luck. When luck strikes, goodbye.
That’s what TNT did to Magnolia on Sunday.
Through its team captain, Jayson Castro, the Tropang Giga snatched a 93-92 win from the cliff for a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven semifinal series against the Hotshots in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup before a sizable crowd that included Senator Bong Go at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Castro, hailed at one time as Asia’s best point guard, got an inbound pass with 10 ticks left, dribbled toward the left quarter court, and then rifled a nets-ripping triple to erase a 92-90 deficit as time was expiring.
That was a killer-dagger as only 2.8 seconds remained for Magnolia to mount a miracle, completely fizzling out after Paul Lee’s desperation heave from the back court hit nothing but air.
Castro was uncharacteristically unemotional after his game-winner.
No fist pumping.
No primal scream.
He was stoic-faced even as his teammates swarmed all over him, tousling his hair in glee.
Castro was just doing his job? Sinking that triple under duress was but business as usual? Another day in the office?
That he wasn’t lucky?
In a sense, yes. Luck just doesn’t happen by chance. It is made.
The good produce luck. And luck only usually comes from the good.
That is why we have the saying, “When you are lucky, you are good.” Or, “When you are good, you are lucky.”
That Sunday night, Castro was both good and lucky. Or vice versa. Comes both ways.
Can Castro’s heroism carry TNT to victory anew in Wednesday’s Game Four, also at the Cubao Big Dome at 6 p.m.?
Hard to tell. One may be good at all times, but it is not all the time that luck can happen.
Meanwhile, San Miguel Beer and Meralco also resume their semifinal duel in the 3 p.m. opener.
June Mar Fajardo, San Miguel’s 6-foot-10 fulcrum, is always good so that luck comes naturally to him most of the time.
Aside from his ceiling, Fajardo’s bulk also makes him an immovable force underneath where he usually manufactures double-double digits with the ease of a spider webbing its house.
But for the Bolts to forge a 2-2 deadlock against the Beermen, they need more than a double-teaming defense to neutralize, if not minimize, Fajardo’s obvious dominance both in scoring and rebounding.
Easier said than done, you say?
No debate there.
THAT’S IT My heart goes to the National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs. Seemingly, their sacking from the AVC Cup was abruptly done. Was a dialogue between NU officials and volleyball top guns not explored at all before a decision was made? If yes, bad, bad…Happy birthday (August 10) to my younger sister, Cely. Cheers!