Alley-Oops...

1.3 ticks remaining, wer'e down 63-62 (i think). In the huddle, i declared, "Bigay nyo sa akin ang bola, panalo tayo. (Give the ball to me, and we will win.)". Those were my brave words during the timeout. I am fully confident of my abilities and my skills and i know i can deliver the W. I always wanted to be in these moments, i always wanted the opportunity to be the one to deliver the win for the team. I take pride in these moments and i live for these as a ball player. I made some before, i missed some.

During my college years, i was tested at the free-throw line with the game on the line, less than a minute to go, and i missed both badly, costing us the game. Free-throws have always been my forte, i shoot about 75% - 80% in high school. After that incident, my confidence in my FT-shooting abilities declined. I became a 60% shooter which was a career low. I, then rededicated myself to the line. I would run 2 sets of sprints before i take to the line to make myself tired before i shoot them. I would take about 20 at least free throw attempts everyday at practice. Fortunately my confidence got back, but i must admit, during pressure situations, when im on the line, that incident would always cross my mind.

Going back, we were preparing to inbound the ball near our goal. The player inbounding the ball, TJ Macapagal, otherwise known as T-Mac, was having terrific game, and he and I just connected on a wonderful passing play. When we were set up, i saw that the path towards the rim was free. No single guy was within 5 feet of the goal. T-Mac saw this too and we made a split-second eye-contact before the play happened. Then the referee gave the ball to T-Mac. I faked like i was going outside, then sharply returned towards the rim. T-Mac threw a perfect lob pass for me. I elevated, caught the ball, lay the ball in, in what was an almost perfect alley-oop play. Almost perfect... the release felt good, i was in front of the rim, laid it in almost perfectly... the ball bounces off the backboard, then rolls off the side of the rim. Horn sounds, game over... we lost...

We lost... we lost... i succumbed to my knees, felt the pain of my previously injured leg. I was down on my knees in front of the celebrating bench of our opponents, slapping the floor hardly. I was yelling silently (is there such a thing) to myself, "WHY!!! WHY COULD YOU BE SO STUPID!!! IT WAS A STUPID GIMME!!! AN EASY LAY UP TO YOU!! WHY!!" Why indeed...

As i returned back to bench, down and dejected, and see the disappointed look in my teammate's faces, it only aggravates the pain in me. More mental and psychological pain rather than physical pain. I apologized to the team for my failure. I failed them.

Let me give you a quick background on the game...

Melvin 'The Tank' Castrence, rookie extraorfinaire of the Accenture Basketball League missed the game due to a team-building activity. That's 16 points and 6 rebs there. He is also a legit inside and outside threat.

Lyndon 'L-Mac' Macasiljig, a former ABL MVP was having a really great game, leading us in scoring and rebounding during the game.

That team had the #1 guy in terms of the MVP race, who was averaging 21 pts and 15 rebs per game.

I got hurt midway in the second quarter as i slammed my leg into the knees of a defender, hard. I was limping the whole game after.

We were up by 8 with less than two minutes remaining in the game. We were just milking the clock away, but i think we played it too safe. After we led, a very unexpected hero arose from our opponent's rank, the player we least expected drilled 3 straight 3's to steal the lead away from us with about 6 seconds. The possession after, they fouled us at about the 1.3 seconds mark, setting up the final play of the game.

Missing the game winning shot is always a confidence shaker. Right after the game, i really couldnt help but feel down. I had the game in my hands. And i failed.

However, this gives me a very great opportunity to bounce back. This game will make not only me, but the whole team better. We will bounce back from this. Our next game is on Sunday August 28, 2005, Cagayan de Oro's Feast day!!! God i miss CDO... oh back to the sked, it will be at 3 pm, to be held in the Meralco Gym, in Pasig. It will be against, who i think is the best team of our division. We are gonna have our hands full in this one.

But we will get past this. For me personally, i am already looking forward to the next challenge. What's done is done, now im more confident than i was before. And i am raring to get back to the court.