Free agent pick up Mac Tallo is making the most of the minutes he’s getting in the absence of NLEX’s top guards as he helped the Road Warriors get off to a quick 2-0 start in the 2018 PBA Governors’ Cup.
Only in his second month with NLEX since being picked up from the free agent pool, the shifty Cebuano guard now seems at home with his new team after averaging 15.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists to become the first Cignal-PBA Press Corps Player of the Week for the conference.
The former Southwestern U star playmaker beat teammate Larry Fonacier and TNT guard Terrence Romeo for the weekly citation.
Tallo, the 10th overall pick in the 2017 PBA Rookie Draft, banged in 16 points, along with three assists and a rebound as NLEX shocked powerhouse TNT on opening day, 103-90 at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
Two days later, the son of former Pepsi guard Mark Tallo, contributed 14 points, four rebounds and one assist as NLEX hammered a Stanley Pringle-less NorthPort, 123-107.
Tallo averaged 24 minutes of play in the first two games, capitalizing on the playing time given to him by acting coach Jojo Lastimosa as the Road Warriors continue to miss starting guards Kiefer Ravena and Kevin Alas.
Making NLEX’s win even more impressive was the fact that the team did it with an injured import Olu Ashaolu, who valiantly played with a ruptured patellar tendon. The Road Warriors also played the first two games of the import-spiced conference without head coach Yeng Guiao and slotman Asi Taulava, both currently serving the Philippine men’s team in the Jakarta Palembang Asian Games.
The Road Warriors will play their third game in six days this Wednesday when they go up against the Magnolia Pambansang Manok.
Aaron Fuller, who played for NLEX, is coming in to replace Ashaolu.