GINEBRA big man Troy Rosario—all 6-foot-7 of him—outran the entire San Miguel Beer five for an uncontested fast break slam dunk off a pass from former MVP Scottie Thompson last Sunday night.
Rosario’s two-handed jam at the 7:48 mark of the third quarter roused the pro-Kings crowd at the Smart Araneta Coliseum and sparked a roaring celebration.
While the highlights of Rosario’s sterling outing in Ginebra’s 93-81 victory over the Beermen in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup were worthy of adulation, he opted to downplay them.
For the Kings’ new prized addition, he simply followed coach Tim Cone’s game plan to a “T.”
“It’s what’s written on the board sa pre-game namin—be aggressive and be the aggressor,” Rosario said. “I just take what the defense is giving me. They (Beermen) were clogging the paint.
“Noong binabantayan ako ni June Mar (Fajardo), ng import (Jabari Narcis), talagang nilalabas ko sila,” he added.
Rosario, who chose to join his childhood favorite team after the last Governors’ Cup via free agency, totaled 22 points, 16 of them coming in the second half, on top of 10 rebounds, and two blocks.
The former Gilas Pilipinas mainstay’s big game showcased Ginebra’s depth and versatility.
“Kasi that’s also the game plan: to space out the bigs para magkaroon ng lane to attack the paint,” Rosario said. “Coming into this game, the plan was to get to the paint more than the outside.
“Mas nai-i-space out ko ang sarili ko kasi lahat binabantayan. So, hindi alam sino ang i-iskor sa amin.”
Cone was elated no end by his ward’s best game since donning the jersey of the country’s most popular ball club.
“(The team showed) just a lot of heart led by this guy. He was all over the floor. He’s always been all over the floor defensively for us and on the boards, being that extra factor for us,” he said.
“But tonight, he was huge on the offensive side, knocking down shots. So, Troy kind of represented our performance tonight. I thought we really played hard.”
A product of National University who spent his early pro league years with TNT and two seasons with Blackwater, Rosario seems to have finally found a home to add more titles to his lone crown with the Tropang Giga in the Philippines Cup semi-bubble at Clark three years ago.
