Rey Nambatac (right) takes the challenge as a positive.–AUGUST DELA CRUZ
Rey Nambatac admitted having difficulty dealing with the pressure of filling a huge void with Jayson Castro ruled out of TNT’s quest to win another PBA championship with a season-ending knee injury.
At the same time, it’s something that Nambatac is not backing away from, knowing full well how he can be a key factor in the Tropang Giga’s latest title chase against a familiar foe in crowd-favorite Barangay Ginebra.
“I realize that I have to take it [the challenge of stepping up] as a positive, use that pressure as motivation and hopefully good things come out of it,” Nambatac said in Filipino.
READ: PBA: Ginebra, Jamie Malonzo itching to get back at TNT in Finals
Castro’s injury, which came in Game 2 of TNT’s eventual semifinal series win over Rain or Shine, immediately put the spotlight on Nambatac to play beyond the usual.
Before the injury, Castro was producing 10.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.3 steals in 12 games in the conference while under load management as he plays an average of just 20 minutes.
Missing Castro was severely felt the following game, especially with Nambatac only producing two points on 1-of-4 shooting with two rebounds, three assists and one steal as TNT fell, 103-98, which had Rain or Shine coming to within 2-1.
But feeling a sense of urgency, Nambatac responded on the offensive side with back-to-back 12-point outputs, though going 2-of-10 in a 93-85 Game 4 win and 5-of-14 in the series-clinching 97-92 victory in Game 5.
Off the bench
He added six rebounds, two assists and two steals in Game 4 and had four rebounds, eight assists plus two steals in Game 5, both appearances having coach Chot Reyes playing Nambatac off the bench and starting with seldom-used Brian Heruela.
Nambatac’s defense during the fourth quarter of Game 5 also led to opportunities that allowed TNT to separate itself from Rain or Shine.
It remains to be seen if Reyes will stick to that pragmatic approach. But again, Nambatac is crucial to TNT’s chances, especially against a stacked-Ginebra backcourt composed of Scottie Thompson, Stephen Holt and RJ Abarrientos.
“I really need to fill that gap, which is really impossible,” he said. “But, it’s really a team-effort. If I could at least put up 10-12 points from the maximum 20 [minutes] that [Castro] can provide, it would really mean a lot to our team.
“We proved [in the semifinals] that we could still compete even without him,” Nambatac went on. “And our main focus, like in every conference, is our team defense. If we don’t defend like we’re used to, we will have a very hard time.”
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Nambatac will be aiming for a second straight title, something that was a dream before joining TNT as he had little playoff success while with Rain or Shine and Blackwater. INQ
