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| Mac Tallo was the Best Player of the Game in the 21-6 final for Manila HeiHei |
It was the Mac Tallo show at the Laus Events Centre in San Fernando, Pampanga on Wednesday, as Manila HeiHei finished atop the 2021 Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 Invitational.
Much like the cars being showcased in the different showrooms nearby, Tallo revved out and torched the 3x3 opposition, finishing undefeated in the one-day tournament supported by TM, Wilson Basketball, Homegrown Grains, and Adam Ezli.
The former SWU standout outscored Pasig Kingpin by himself in the final, dropping thirteen points on five two-pointers and lead Manila to a 21-6 victory with 4:41 left in the ten-minute matchup.
Manila went on an 8-1 lead and never looked back, with Tallo scoring seven of those. He and Chico Lanete put in the work on defense as well, checking the Monteclaro brothers. Ryan and Nikki, who each had their way from deep all tournament long, were limited to just a point each.
Zach Huang added five markers while defending Toba Eugene. Mike Nzeusseu bucked a hand injury in their 18-10 semifinal against ARQ Builders-Cebu to tack on a couple of points. The former Lyceum standout got the knock battling with Landry Sanjo for a rebound with 118 seconds remaining in their grueling match.
Manila HeiHei would net PhP 110,000 with the victory, with the additional PhP 10,000 coming from the final being the Fastest Game of the tournament.
Manila head trainer Aldin Ayo was pleased with the result. He shares, "Happy that this tournament happened. I hope that they got the confidence and the rhythm. It's important that we simulate the actual situations and we can't do that in practice."
On whether Nzeusseu's injury could affect their upcoming stint in the 2021 FIBA 3x3 World Tour Abu Dhabi Masters, Ayo says, "Malayo sa bituka yun e. I hope he recovers in time for Abu Dhabi. He has a big responsibility with our team and he has to overcome that. It's not a major injury."
To get to the final, Pasig dispatched Essen Immunoboost Sarangani, 21-15. In finishing second, they are PhP 50,000 richer. Sarangani netted PhP 20,000 for the third place finish.
In the side events for the FIBA 3x3-endorsed and Games and Amusements Board-regulated tournament, Janus Lozada of AMACOR Mandaluyong claimed the two-point shootout after going 9/10, netting PhP 10,000. As for the newly-renamed Sudan Slam Dunk Competition, David Carlos beat Nhomar Gonzales and Lennon Abiso to earn PhP 20,000.
Tallo knocked down the championship-clinching deuce with 4:41 left, marking the finals as the fastest game of the day as well. It gave them an additional P10,000 on top of their P100,000 prize in this tournament endorsed by FIBA 3x3, regulated by the Games and Amusements Board.
Kicking off the knockout rounds and setting up the semifinal dramatics, Mandaluyong ran out of luck against Cebu, 19-21; Homegrown Grains Bocaue fell short against Sarangani, 15-21; Pacquiao Coffee Bacolod got outsniped by Pasig, 15-21; and BRT Sumisip Basilan ran into the Manila freight train, 10-21.
The Scores:
Manila 21 - Tallo 13, Huang 5, Nzeusseu 2, Lanete 1.
Pasig 6 - Eugene 3, Monteclaro R. 1, Monteclaro N. 1, Belencion 1.
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