Marcio Lassiter is known for delivering big shots down the stretch and his shooting prowess was again put to the test during the thrilling Game 3 encounter between his San Miguel Beermen and the Star Hotshots on Wednesday.
With his team down by two points, 110-108, with 13 seconds remaining, ‘Super Marcio’ had to chase down a loose ball a few steps behind the three-point line after a miss from a teammate. He then made a crossover dribble and created an opening with a stepback move as he got a shot over the tightly-defending Justin Melton to clinch the match with a game-winning three-pointer that left just 1.6 seconds left on the clock.
For Lassiter, whose team now leads 2-1 in the series, that had to be one of the more memorable shots of his PBA career.
“Yeah, it’s one of the biggest shots. I’m just trying to be ready, staying on that moment. It’s hard, when you’re being down two. You never want to say it’s over until the last second and that’s what I told myself. It’s not over until the last second. When I threw it up, it looked good,” Lassiter told InterAksyon in an interview.
Despite being one of the league’s premier shooters, Lassiter wasn’t actually the first option when his team came out of the huddle for their final offensive possession.
But his presence of mind allowed him to be ready for when an opportunity might present itself.
“We’re down two. We came back in the huddle. We need to get a good shot off. We got a penetration from (Chris) Ross and he missed that shot. The original plan was to spot up and space out,” he recounted.
“From there, it was a breakdown. We’ve got a good shot and missed it, then there was a tap out. I was fortunate and got my hand on it. I looked up and I had about five or six seconds and I knew I just want to make a move, create space and get a shot off. I was kinda thinking trey, but at the same time, I was thinking left me get a shot off,” he added.
“Luckily, I was able to get enough space just enough to get a shot.”
San Miguel, the reigning three-time PBA Philippine Cup champions, is now on the verge of making the Commissioner’s Cup title series.
They can book their return trip to the finals with a win over the Hotshots on Friday.
