James Carlos Yap Unmasked

B-Meg Derby Ace finally barged into the win column last night with an unsatisfactory win over the Meralco Bolts 75-71. Ironically, their first win for the conference came at the expense of their former head coach, the eloquent Ryan Gregorio, who joined the come backing Meralco franchise during the off season. Players from the Llamados and the Bolts were tangled in forty-eight (48) minutes of high octane basketball game to get the much needed victory each of the team has been dearly missing. One significant sign of improvement in the much depleted line up of the Llamados came in the second quarter. As if totally disgusted with the way his face mask has been getting in the way of his game, James Carlos Yap entered the playing court without his mask and finished the game exposed.


Two-time MVP James Carlos Yap had a surgery to remove a polyp in his nose prior to the start of this conference. According to his attending physicians, team doctors and conditioning coach, it will take few more weeks to get back his wind, stamina and groove. The protective mask he has been wearing in their previous games was designed for his to have proper breathing (in spite of the operation) during the game and to reduce chances of aggravating his condition for an immediate healing process. Last night, the man must have chosen winning over healing, putting his team interest over his personal prerequisite and showing his former coach the kind of warrior he has made him of.


The man with the million moves was visible groping in form with the way he executes his shots but the gracefulness in the way he drives to the basket or pumps for a perimeter jumper is a reminiscent of the great Michael Jordan. A basket made is even more immortalized in the innate human memory when it is done in the most amazing fashion only MJ and James Carlos Yap can deliver. One epic moment in last night’s game was in the fourth quarter when James Carlos Yap eluded the defense of Mac Mac Cardona and while in mid-air, Big Game James changes his shot from a jumper into a scoop layup. The ball crawled from the board to the bottom of the net and brought the house down! The shot was ever more amazing on repeated three-angle slow motion replay.


The hard-earned win was even made more possible with the superb performance of sophomore and Rookie of the Year winner Rico Maierhofer. His overall performance particularly on the defensive end of the floor was a nightmare of the Bolts. Maierhofer collared fourteen (14) rebounds and blocked five (5) shots in twenty-six (26) minutes of action. His five (5) block shots are enough to overshadow the two (2) block shots registered by the Bolts. The untiring Maierhofer was practically everywhere last night and his energy on the floor was enough to silence Asi Taulava, gunner Mac Mac Cardona and coaches Ryan Gregorio and Ronnie Magsanoc. And I have to mention that for an Atenean that I am, Maierhofer is thus far the the best La Salle player in the B-Meg Derby Ace franchise. Jun Limpot earned the same citation in the old Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants time.


James Carlos Yap and his team have found ways to win tonight. Xavier was watching the game with me via Solar Sports last night and he was visible ecstatic with the win. It somehow compensated the lost game last Saturday only that we were not at the scene of the live game to savor the victory. Yap top scored for his team with 13 markers on a measly 19% field goal shooting but he managed to pull down six (6) rebounds, dished out two (2) assists and blocked three (3) shots. The shooting woes of James Carlos Yap continue but now that his face mask has been retired, fans and PBA followers alike will be expecting the habitual dominating performance he delivers.