McClary raring to make up for lost time

Expect Tee McClary to come out smoking when Game Four of the Samsung PBA Reinforced Conference best-of-seven finals is played tonight at the Araneta Coliseum.

The burly Coca-Cola import sat out Game Three due to a one-game suspension and watched from courtside as San Miguel took an 86-81 win and a crucial 2-1 edge in the series that might just go the distance.

McClary, who was suspended along with SMB forward Danny Ildefonso, told The STAR last Friday he couldn’t wait to plunge back into action and probably help the Tigers tie and reduce the series into a best-of-three affair.

Ildefonso punched McClary in the jaw in the third quarter of Game Two after a series of pushing, shoving, head-butting and trash-talking between the two players.

"It’s a bad thing what happened but in the heat of the battle things occur. I’ve apologized for what happened. But there’s war out there and you just can’t let people head-butt you and get away with it," said McClary.

"But I’ll be here on Sunday. And I hope I’m well-rested. I hope I can come out and continue to play well and do what I can do to help my team win," added the beefy Coca-Cola import who avegared 26 points, 12.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists in the first two games of the series.

Asked if he had any chance to meet or talk to Ildefonso after that incident, McClary said "no."

"I really don’t care to meet him right now because he got the better shot. But it’s all in the game. He talks trash and I talk trash. But he didn’t like it and he gave me a head-butt. I just had to react," McClary said, smiling and shrugging his broad shoulders.

McClary said he also doesn’t care whom he faces on the court tonight.

San Miguel coach Jong Uichico said they have yet to decide whether or not to field back Kwan Johnson who hurt his groin during the series opener. He skipped the second game and was relieved by NBA veteran Cedric Ceballos in the third.

Team manager Robert Non, however, said the Beermen will most likely use Johnson as they shoot for a huge 3-1 advantage.

Ceballos showed a lot of rust in his PBA debut, scoring only 11 points on top of 10 rebounds and six turnovers. He was a non-factor in the final quarter where Uichico fielded an all-Filipino lineup to escape with the victory against the importless Tigers.

"I don’t care who they have. We’re just gonna come out and play hard every night. Cedric? I’ve seen him play in the league (NBA) and I know he’s a great player. He’s an NBA All-Star so definitely he still has some great skills. But I’m ready for whoever. They tie their shoes up just like me," he said.