Antonio Lang is the best import in the league.
The former Duke starter in the US National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I league backed his coach’s bark by sinking his teeth in the heart of two crucial games to steer Red Bull to one, a finals seat and two, a surprise victory over defending champion San Miguel Beer.
The judgment is still out whether he will lay claim to the title of best import in the Philippine Basketball Association Commissioners Cup.
But as far as the week stretching from Aug. 6 to 12 is concerned, there was nobody better than Lang.
The PBA press corps overwhelmingly picked Lang as the Player of the Week, recognizing the role he played in handing the Red Bull squad its first finals stint in franchise history and sending the Thunder to a loud upset over San Miguel in Game One of the Championship series.
"I don’t know how many times I’ve said it, but I really believe that Antonio Lang is the best import in town," said Guiao.
Lang proved that well.
He led the Thunder with 30 points bunched in three periods as Red Bull ended the hopes of Purefoods in the semifinals with a 3-2 series win in the best-of-five affair.
But his greatness was yet to unfold.
In the championship series, he redeemed his big misses at the stripe by burying the game’s biggest shot–an undergoal stab that also sent San Miguel import Nate Johnson to the bench due to fouls–to send the Thunder rolling to an 80-78 Game One victory.
"He’s going to take all the crucial shots of the game. And though he might not make them all, he’s going to make the most of them," said Guiao.
More than his role in the endgame, Lang played a key factor in the game by forcing Johnson and Nic Belasco–his principal defenders– to pile up fouls in bunches.
In fact, Johnson was fished with his fifth foul with eight minutes left on the clock and fouled out with 5.1 ticks remaining after spending close to five minutes on the bench.
Belasco, on the other hand, picked up two fouls in a two-minute span that exiled him to the quarters.
"I think that was crucial, the way he picked up the fouls. That was a big turning point because it limited San Miguel’s options in offense, especially when Johnson picked up his fifth. Johnson was really hurting us with the mismatches and those minutes where he sat out the game was crucial for us," said Guiao.