After a near-flawless group stage, the DLSU NBA2K Team fell short of gold in the UAAP Season 87 NBA2K Esports Tournament after bowing down to the UST Teletigers, 2-1, in the Final Four yesterday, May 16, at Quantum Skyview, Gateway 2.
Headlined by Keagan Yap, Jose Parducho, and Rhiean Bandola, the squad battled on the virtual hardwood with a group stage record of 2-1, journeying just inches aways from a Finals berth.
Tough break
DLSU Esports went up against Ateneo Loyola Gaming in the opener, as Yap piloted the Oklahoma City Thunder, a team known for its shooting and ability to spread the floor. Meanwhile, Ateneo’s Justin Lagac used the athletic championship squad of the Boston Celtics. Both teams traded leads in the first half, until Yap’s pick-and-roll game and the sheer size of his team allowed the Green-and-White to dominate the second half with key defensive stops, 47-40.
In the second game, Parducho took over the Celtics this time, while Paolo Medina of Ateneo used the Thunder. Another tight back-and-forth match unfolded. Parducho utilized a catch-and-shoot greenlight strategy. Despite being down by three, the Lasallian managed to greenlight a deep three to force the first overtime. Medina retaliated, taking a commanding lead in overtime. However, Parducho quickly bounced back, forcing a second overtime using the same catch-and-shoot play. Eager to put the game down once and for all, Parducho grabbed an early lead, but Medina responded and tied things up, leading by three once again. As Parducho attempted to force another overtime, he missed his three-pointer, allowing Medina to take the win.
The stakes were high with both teams tied. Yap returned to pilot things around using the Celtics against Medina’s Thunder. Yap deployed his star player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for OKC, but Medina’s cuts proved to be lethal in the second half. Medina eventually widened his lead after timely turnovers caused Yap to crumble late in the dying minutes, pushing DLSU to concede the opener with a 2-1 defeat.
Absolute dominance
The squad returned for day two, eager to avenge their loss as they took on UP Esports. Yap took a different route, this time using the San Antonio Spurs and unleashing Victor Wembanyama to dominate the glass and paint. Meanwhile, Javier Andreus of UP used OKC. Yap took an early lead and then made a breakaway late in the second half with complete dominance, outscoring the opponent with dunks and jumpers and acquiring a blowout victory, 59-44.
Parducho was up next, going with the OKC squad against Angelo Nuestro of UP who picked Boston. Parducho was on another level in this game, with greenlight after greenlight. As he reached within striking distance, he utilized his signature catch-and-shoot strategy, turning the tide with consecutive stops that opened up more point opportunities. Parducho steadily built momentum to overpower his opponent as he inflated the lead to as much as 20 points. DLSU swept UP, 2-0, claiming their first match win in the tournament.
Rallying comeback
Yap took the reigns again with the Spurs, facing FEU opponent Staenly Estacio, who utilized OKC. Yap carved out an early advantage midway in the first half, scoring from drives and paint buckets. But Estacio cut down on the deficit slowly, evening the odds late into the half as Yap was plagued with fouls. Yap aggressively opened the second half with monster defensive stops, utilizing the size of the Spurs to garner fast break points. He inflated the lead and left Estacio in the dust with fast breaks, capping game one off with a 62-59 victory.
For the second game, Bandola would make his first appearance in the tournament, as he took control of the OKC squad against FEU’s Nehemiah Maninit, who went with the Celtics. Both players traded stops and buckets early, but neither could build a convincing lead. But Maninit eventually gained the upper hand, putting Bandola into foul trouble and extending the lead to as much as eight late into the second half. However, a reinvigorated Bandola slowly seized control with late-game heroics, greening shot after shot with open looks and eventually tying the game. With only two minutes remaining in the fourth, Bandola flipped the match on its head, taking a seven-point lead as he ultimately made his way to a 50-43 comeback victory.
Falling short
As the fourth day of the competition kicked off, it was a do-or-die matchup between DLSU and the UST Teletigers. Parducho took the reigns for La Salle with the Portland Trailblazers, while UST’s Daniel Argame controlled the Miami Heat—two unique teams that have not seen much action in the tournament. The first half saw a low-scoring game, with Parducho making costly turnovers that led to fast break points for Argame. However, Argame built upon his lead and commanded the second half, while Parducho struggled to get buckets to go as his attempts were thwarted by the Thomasian. Parducho eventually conceded to a 67-47 defeat in the first game.
Yap showed up for the second game with the Spurs, while Eryx Delos Reyes utilized the Philadelphia 76ers. Yap opened the match on a high note, orchestrating a scoring run with his star Wembanyama to take a sizable lead and dominate the virtual hardwood. Yap then sought to extend his lead, but Delos Reyes responded to every bucket he got. Still, Yap inched away with his defensive prowess proving too much, escaping with a 76-68 win to force a decisive Game Three.
With the Finals spot on the line, DLSU fielded Parducho with Boston, while Argame returned with OKC. Parducho used mid-range jumpers, drives, and pick-and-roll plays, while Argame spaced the floor with shooters and greenlights. The lead was always within striking distance for both teams. However, the second half became a turn of events, as Argame gained momentum, while Parducho could not get timely buckets to go. DLSU eventually fell short as they bowed to a 64-56 defeat in the Final Four stage, ending their UAAP Season 87 NBA2K Esports campaign.
