OLD hand Rafi Reavis was among the bright spots for Magnolia in its 88-83 conquest of TNT that clinched for the team a twice-to-beat edge in the PBA Philippine Cup playoffs.
Playing extended minutes, the 47-year-old Reavis was an inspiring presence at the Hotshots' frontcourt, complementing young gun Zavier Lucero as they battled together the TNT duo of Poy Erram and Kelly Williams.
The veteran big man held his own and finished with four points, six rebounds, and a steal.
At one point in the homestretch, he grabbed three straight offensive rebounds that helped Magnolia preserved the win and finished the eliminations with an 8-3 record.
Reavis was grateful for coach Chito Victolero and his staff for the trust extended him given the significance of the match to the Hotshots' playoffs standings.
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"I would like to thank all of them for continuously believing in me and knowing what I'm capable of doing because of the playoff atmosphere," said the 6-foot-8 center-power forward.
"I've been here many times and I know what it takes to get to the next round."
The win assured Magnolia of a Top 4 finish at the end of the eliminations for a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals.
Come the playoffs, Reavis will certainly come in handy for the Hotshots.
The New York native is the longest tenured Magnolia player, having been with the franchise since 2009 and won seven of the 11 championships he had under his belt with the team, including the 2014 grand slam.
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"Just through experience, being in these battles for so many years. I've seen everything you can imagine," he said. "So it's just me continuously sharing things that I see and helping the team out anyway I can."
Like the rest of the Hotshots, Reavis said he's looking forward to a great battle ahead of them.
"I'm glad we're in this position. We accomplished our goal to get the twice to beat advantage, and we'll be ready come game time," added the veteran Fil-Am. (RG)
