Photo credit: PBA

Roger Pogoy hardly looked like someone coming off a hamstring injury.

In TNT’s thrilling 97-96 victory over San Miguel on Sunday night to open the PBA Philippine Cup finals, Pogoy delivered a scorching performance that belied the two-week layoff that kept him out of action for four straight games.

The veteran guard came out firing, scoring 15 of his team-high 23 points in the first half to steer the grand slam-chasing Tropang Giga to an early lead. And just when San Miguel mounted a furious comeback in the fourth quarter, it was Pogoy who delivered the dagger — a clutch three-pointer that broke a 94-all tie and proved to be the game-winner.

The 33-year-old admitted afterward that his hamstring is still not fully healed. In fact, he had yet to rejoin full-contact practices and had only been able to take shots and do some light jogging in the lead-up to the finals.

"Sa totoo lang, hindi pa ako nakasali ng 5-on-5. Nagtatakbo-takbo pa lang ako," he said, recalling that his last full game was back in Game 2 of their semifinal series against Rain or Shine, when he first sustained the injury.

Despite the uncertainty, Pogoy felt good during warmups, enough for head coach Chot Reyes to insert him late in the first quarter. He wasted no time making an impact, scoring eight points before the period was over.

"Sabi ko pag pinasok ako, titira agad ako," he shared with a smile. "As a basketball player, ganun naman talaga. Pag papalaruin ka, laro ka."

Pogoy finished with an efficient 7-of-11 shooting from the field, including 3-of-6 from beyond the arc, while adding two rebounds and two assists. His timely contributions helped TNT seize a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

For someone who wasn’t sure if his body was ready, Pogoy delivered a performance that said otherwise — and reminded everyone just how much he means to TNT’s championship hopes.