San Miguel Beer’s Don Trollano celebrates after the Beermen won the PBA Philippine Cup championship after beating the TNT Tropang 5G in six games.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—San Miguel Beer captured another PBA Philippine Cup championship behind some contributions from an unsung hero.
Don Trollano, who usually comes off the bench for the Beermen, played an extended role not just in the six-game title series against TNT but also in the entirety of the playoffs.
READ: PBA Finals: Don Trollano heats up at perfect time for San Miguel
It didn’t seem to bother Trollano that he had to play more than he was used to. In fact, he took it as a privilege.
“Even before the start of the Playoffs, coach Leo (Austria) already talked to me,” bared Trollano following their 107-96 win over the Tropang 5G in Game 6 at Philsports Arena on Friday night.
“He told me that he’ll be giving me more minutes, so that kind of trust gave me more confidence as a player so I just gave my best and my hundred percent, always.”
In the most important game of San Miguel’s season, Trollano proved that he took that role with the highest responsibility.
In 20 very valuable minutes off the bench, Trollano fired 12 points alongside four rebounds and two assists to keep TNT from forcing a Game 7.
READ: PBA: Don Trollano finds redemption in San Miguel’s payback win
Did it play a factor that Trollano’s extended minutes came because his former college coach is at the helm?
Probably not. In fact, this kind of trust wasn’t something Austria gave Trollano during their UAAP days with Adamson.
“It definitely got bigger,” Trollano said in jest when asked if his mentor’s trust in him increased during the Philippine Cup playoffs.
“Maybe he saw how I work on my game every day so his trust in me kept on improving until we got here,” he explained.
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