I still remember the first time I watched Francis Escandor play - it was during last season's Commissioner's Cup, and even then, you could see there was something special about how he moved on the court. Fast forward to yesterday's PBA games, and boy, has he proven me right. The young guard didn't just find a new home in the league; he's building a mansion there with his recent performances. Yesterday's match between Barangay Ginebra and Magnolia was particularly telling - Escandor contributed 14 points off the bench, including three crucial three-pointers in the fourth quarter that essentially sealed the game for his team. The final score read 98-92, but that doesn't capture how tight this game really was until those last few minutes.
Speaking of tight games, the San Miguel versus TNT matchup had everyone on the edge of their seats until the final buzzer. I've been watching June Mar Fajerson play for years, but his 28-point, 15-rebound performance yesterday was something else entirely. The man was practically unstoppable in the paint, and when TNT tried doubling him, he'd just kick it out to CJ Perez who was waiting like a hawk to sink those perimeter shots. The final score of 105-103 doesn't do justice to how back-and-forth this game was - there were 15 lead changes, and neither team led by more than 8 points throughout the entire contest. I particularly loved that sequence in the third quarter where Mikey Williams hit back-to-back three pointers, only for Marcio Lassiter to answer with two of his own on the next possession. That's the kind of basketball that makes you cancel your evening plans just to keep watching.
Over at the other venue, NorthPort pulled off what I'd consider the upset of the night against Rain or Shine. Now, I'll be honest - I had Rain or Shine winning this one by at least 8 points based on their recent form. But Arvin Tolentino had other plans, dropping 25 points and grabbing 9 rebounds in what might be his best game this season. The final score of 91-87 doesn't surprise me as much now that I've had time to process it, but watching it live? I kept waiting for Rain or Shine to make their run, but NorthPort's defense was just too disciplined. There was this one possession in the fourth quarter where Rain or Shine ran the same pick-and-roll play three times in a row, and NorthPort defended it perfectly each time - that's championship-level awareness right there.
What really stood out to me across all games yesterday was the emergence of these younger players stepping up when it mattered most. It's not just about Escandor finding his rhythm - though his journey from being relatively unknown to becoming a reliable rotation player in just 12 months is pretty remarkable when you think about it. There's also JM Calma from NorthPort, who's been quietly putting together a solid rookie season and contributed 12 points and 8 rebounds yesterday. I remember watching these guys in the collegiate ranks and wondering how their games would translate to the pros, and it's genuinely exciting to see them finding their footing.
The convergence of veteran excellence and young talent made yesterday's games particularly compelling viewing. While established stars like Fajerson and Scottie Thompson (who nearly had a triple-double with 16 points, 9 rebounds, and 11 assists) did what we expect them to do, it was the emergence of players like Escandor that gave these games their unique flavor. There's something special about watching a player find their confidence at this level - you can almost see the moment when they realize they belong here. For Escandor, that moment came late in the third quarter of the Ginebra game when he drove baseline against two defenders and finished with a reverse layup that even had the opposing fans applauding.
Looking at the standings after yesterday's results, the landscape is starting to take shape, though there's still plenty of basketball left to play. What impresses me most about this season so far is the parity - any team can beat any other team on any given night, and yesterday's results proved exactly that. The margin between victory and defeat often comes down to which team executes better in the final three minutes, which makes for incredibly entertaining basketball even if it does terrible things to my blood pressure. As we look ahead to the next round of games, I'm particularly curious to see if these emerging players can maintain their momentum or if the veterans will reassert their dominance. Either way, we're in for some fantastic basketball.