Rhenz Abando impresses in Anyang rout of San Miguel

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Rhenz Abando. Photo from Anyang KGC

OKINAWA – Rhenz Abando was the thorn in the side of the Philippines in Anyang’s 55-point blowout of San Miguel Beer on Saturday at EASL Champions Week here.

The former Letran ace finished with 22 points built on 9-for-15 shooting in a 142-87 demolition of the PBA Philippine Cup champions at the Okinawa Arena.

Abando was prominent in his first-quarter run that left the cocky Beermen begging for an early answer.

So decisive, though CJ Perez has to tip his hat to the young striker.

“I’m proud of how he showed out,” said San Miguel in a mix of English and Filipino. “I just hope that he can continue to play in Korea. As a fellow Ilocano, I would love to see him play at a high level.

“Super,” he added when asked how skilled Abando was.

While the numbers are impressive, Abando shared that he was really nervous going into the pageant.

The towering import says he has overcome the rigors of overseas and an unknown injury that prevented him from playing to his full potential.

“Pressure, because I haven’t got a 100 percent condition,” he told reporters. “I thought I couldn’t do it right.”

“Even though the KBL league is long, if you get injured, it’s hard to come back. It’s hard to get your confidence back and it’s hard to match the team’s momentum if you miss a game.

Abando said the talk from Anyang’s captain and coach led them to do well in the victory that lifted the Korean club to the top of Group B with a strong chance of deciding the winner this Sunday.

“Honestly, I told the coach and my teammates that I was nervous. But the captain told me that we are a team and he is with me,” he said.

“It’s important – the head coach spoke to me yesterday, told me to just play and he believes in me. I think that’s why I played well today.

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