Basilan-Jumbo Plastic Medical Depot guard Philip Manalang drained on the wee hours of Friday, December 23 what is now best remembered as the “2 million peso shot” which gave his club the 2021 Chooks-to-Go MPBL Invitational powered by TM title in dramatic fashion, as they defeated the Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards, 83-80 in overtime.
The Filipino basketball community know Jay-R Taganas as “Baby Shaq” (which eventually became just “Shaq”) since his San Beda Red Lions days in the 2000s for his burly appearance as the backup to two-time MVP Sam Ekwe.
With over three minutes left in the overtime of Basilan-Jumbo Plastic Medical Depot’s exhilarating championship match against the Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards, wing man Michael Juico fell onto the Mall of Asia Arena, grimacing in pain and clutching his legs.
Jumbo Plastic Medical Depot Basilan head coach Jerson Cabiltes, the architect of his team’s championship run in the Chooks-to-Go MPBL Invitational powered by TM, became the first-ever winner of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League Ato Badolato Coach of the Tournament plum.
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