At age 40, Kelly Williams still showed he's dependable in crunch time. Dennis Acosta |
QUEZON CITY--With Jayson Castro hurt in the third quarter of Game 5 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals, TNT was in need of a huge boost to maintain control of the game.
The team found it in the endgame from Kelly Williams.
Williams shot a booming triple with 1:08 left in the match that turned out to be a dagger for the Tropang Giga to take down the San Miguel Beermen for the crucial 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
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To think about it, the high-flying forward could have been retired already.
Williams first announced that he is leaving the PBA on Sept. 7, 2020, just before the league concluded its season then inside a bubble in Angeles.
However, six months later, he deferred his initial decision and re-signed with TNT, just when Chot Reyes was announced to be returning as head coach.
And here we are: a 40-year-old Kelly Williams turning back time with a vintage performance where he matched his career-high in threes made in a game.
His game-sealing trey was his fourth in the match, the third time he did so but his first after four years.
He finished the game with 21 points, the most in a playoff game since 2017.
"It's pretty ridiculous, right?" Williams said after the clash.
The secret to putting up a vintage performance like this, according to the six-foot-seven big guy, is keeping the faith that he can still pull it off despite his age.
"For myself personally, I wouldn't have come back if I didn't believe I could be in this position again," Williams further said.
He then lauded the rest of the Tropang Giga for the help in keeping him in game mode.
"We've got a great circuit of guys, our coaching staff, and our organization," Williams continued. "The support and unity there, for me, have been unmatched. I'm just grateful to be here."
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