Kelly Williams serves as ‘calm in storm’ for title-seeking TNT

ANTIPOLO, Philippines – It pays to have someone like Kelly Williams when the going gets tough.

Playing in his 18th PBA season, Williams steadied the ship for TNT and steered the team to a 96-91 win over San Miguel in Game 1 of the Philippine Cup finals at the Ynares Center here on Wednesday, January 21.

Williams, 43, finished with 15 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists, a pair of which came inside the final two minutes as the Tropang 5G held on to draw first blood in the best-of-seven title series. 

“That’s why coach has me out there. My role is to try to keep everybody steady. I think I have, probably, the most experience in these finals situations,” said Williams, who has won 10 league championships. 

Williams made the right plays to help TNT foil a last-ditch Beermen comeback, assisting Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser on back-to-back buckets that pushed their lead to 92-87 with under a minute remaining.

That lead proved enough to keep San Miguel at bay, with Jordan Heading going 4 of 4 at the free throw line down the stretch to seal the win for the Tropang 5G.

Williams said he tries to emulate former teammate and current TNT assistant coach Ranidel de Ocampo, who was known for staying composed under pressure throughout his career.

“I was reminded during Ranidel’s jersey retirement how big it is to have someone who is just calm in storms,” he said. 

“I want to make sure that I come into this, not just this game but this whole series, with that energy and trust that our shooters are going to shoot, our guys are going to do what we need to do, and make sure we handle our premium, which is to play defense and play with a lot of energy.” 

The rest of the team followed Williams’ lead as five of his teammates also scored in double figures —Heading produced 13 points and 8 rebounds, while Calvin Oftana churning out 13 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists. 

Rey Nambatac also shone with 11 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds in his finals return after being sidelined in the All-Filipino title series last season which saw the Tropang 5G fall short of a rare Grand Slam after losing to the Beermen in six games.

June Mar Fajardo paced San Miguel as usual with 24 points and 17 rebounds. 

But as sweet as the win is, it is all about getting the next job done as TNT shoots for a 2-0 lead in Game 2 on Friday, January 23, at the same venue. 

“As far as we’re concerned, we’re preparing for Friday. This game is done,” said Williams. – Rappler.com