IT seemed the PBA’s controversial four-point shot was promptly given justice during the opening game last Sunday night.
Meralco’s Chris Banchero etched his name in the pro league’s record books as the first player to score a four-pointer in the Bolts’ 99-94 victory over the Magnolia Hotshots in the match that kicked off the 49th season Governors’ Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Banchero sank the basket from 27 feet at the 10:25 mark of the second quarter after Meralco teammate Chris Newsome first attempted to knock down a four in the first frame.
Magnolia veteran Mark Barroca appeared to have made history by draining a long tom, but he stepped on the line, making it just a three-pointer.
Bolts rookie CJ Cansino also joined the mix early in the second canto, but his quadruple try missed its mark.
In what could have been a poetic ending, Hotshots import and former NBA slam dunk champion Glenn Robinson III opted to take four points with the Hotshots trailing 94-97 in the final 10 ticks but misfired.
Meralco coach Luigi Trillo is convinced the PBA’s innovation which drew mostly negative reactions from armchair pundits is a double-edged sword.
“With us as a game plan, do you foul, and do you put them on the free throw instead of getting four points?” Trillo posed. “That’s something that, as a staff, we decide on, right?
But he (Robinson III) fired it up and when you’re moving forward, you have to be able to defend that perimeter better, right? So, it’s hard.
“If I’m a guy who can shoot there, when guys are closing out, it’s a whole lane going downhill,” he added.
In his return as Bolts reinforcement, Allen Durham powered Meralco with a double-double of 20 points and 16 rebounds while Banchero added 14.
Jolo Mendoza, who also boomed in a four-pointer, added 13 points while Newsome and Cliff Hodge combined for 25.
Trillo said the new ruling will make endgames more riveting.
“What’s nice is that it opens up the floor,” he said. “It’s something new. It’s something you can get back, even in the endgame. Like before, three points, you need a three-point shot.
“Now, at four, you can come back. So, I’m sure teams will find ways how to use it.”
Robinson III paced Magnolia with 29 points and 11 boards, while Ian Sangalang had 17 and six. Paul Lee also got 14 markers for the Hotshots, including their first four.
