San Miguel Beermen’s Don Trollano during a PBA Philippine Cup game against Meralco Bolts. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
Don Trollano admitted feeling a sense of redemption after playing a big part in San Miguel Beer dethroning Meralco in the quarterfinals of the PBA Philippine Cup.
Trollano’s 19 points were among the reasons why the Beermen eliminated the Bolts, 108-97, on Friday at Ninoy Aquino Stadium, atoning for their heartbreaking loss in last year’s Finals of the PBA All-Filipino tournament.
LIVE: PBA quarterfinals – Meralco vs San Miguel, Ginebra vs Converge
Meralco defeated San Miguel for the title after Chris Newsome drained the winning shot from the baseline off Trollano.
“I felt that it has haunted me until now,” Trollano said in Filipino. “But now, I was able to help the team get back at them.”
San Miguel advanced to the semifinals to continue its redemption tour following the disappointing absence from the playoffs of the Commissioner’s Cup.
READ: PBA: San Miguel dethrones Meralco to book semifinals ticket
The Beermen grabbed the top seed after winning five of the last six, with Trollano being key in some of the games with timely shots.
One reason for Trollano’s resurgence, he said, was a shift in his role entering the conference.
San Miguel Beermen’s Don Trollano during a PBA Philippine Cup game against Meralco Bolts. –PBA IMAGES
“I was playing the No. 4 position (power forward) last conference,” said Trollano. “Now, I’m playing my natural position which is more comfortable for me.”
He scored 12 in the first half, which saw San Miguel take a big lead, before Meralco threatened to come back in the third by cutting the gap to two.
But he and Rodney Brondial helped restore order for the Beermen on both ends.
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“My mindset was to be aggressive,” said Trollano. “That was our discussion with the rest of the second group, that we have to play defense and the offense would follow.”
