Entering the critical stretch of PBA eliminations with the group action getting tighter and bolder, teams will always fight for a favorable result up to the last horn. By all means, earning a quarterfinals seat is one hell of a task, factoring in the caliber of players and imports in the field, and everyone's hunger to win the season-opening Governors’ Cup.
Everything counts, as they say, and with the game being decided to the waning moments, a last-gasp heave out of desperation from the shortest to the farthest distance should come as no surprise.
But never in our wildest basketball dreams could a four-point shot be panned out as a sensible option, not with the best plays out of our local leagues, or even from the brightest in the NBA.
The PBA had other plans to start Season 49.
There's no way one would fail to notice the outstretched line that goes beyond the three-point arc at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, Ninoy Aquino Stadium, or the out-of-town games in Candon, Cagayan de Oro, and Davao.
It was a controversial move that was met with questions and skepticism. The league deemed it necessary for innovation, or to thrill the fans and aspirants who have been greatly influenced by NBA's long-range snipers. It was also a move to change the dynamics of the game, give one more option for the teams in dire situations, or perhaps a measure to spark change for the world to take notice.
The three-point line remained at 23 feet from the basket, while the extended line, now called the “four,” the “quad shot,” or simply “the four-pointer,” is four feet farther.
Well, the players did enjoy their time from 27 feet.
Converge import Scotty Hopson already had two game-winners from the extended arc, one that broke the heart of TNT, and the other against Terrafirma. CJ Perez of San Miguel nailed one lethal four-pointer against Phoenix in the endgame. Rain or Shine rookie Felix Lemetti, though he did not sink his quad shot, was fouled in his attempt and drained all his four free throws with ease. Unfortunately, PBA's eight-time MVP June Mar Fajardo drilled the buzzer-beating basket on the other end to spoil Lemetti's efforts.
NBA star Kyle Kuzma, in his visit to the country late last month, even saw it as a good addition to the game. “It allows more space. At the end of the day, a lot of us shoot deep threes anyway,” he said in one interview.
Exhibition team Harlem Globetrotters, on the other hand, couldn’t be more excited about the news. “It’s about time,” said one of their members Moose Weekes.
Despite the positive feedback from the players and the observers, the four-pointer received a cold reception from Magnolia's reinforcement Glenn Robinson III.
Robinson III was on the verge of lifting his team to victory when he attempted the long shot in the final seconds of their game against Meralco, but his try went off the rim with his squad losing by three.
"I'm not a huge fan of it. I don't think anybody really pays much attention to it," he said after the defeat.
The PBA became the first professional league in the world to adopt the four-point shot. It was a daring move that triggered shockwaves, and aftershocks that varied from negativity to wide acceptance. While the new measure wasn’t done in bad faith, the league has its power to implement and alter rules that they see as imperative for the growth of the game.
Sure, it is a potent weapon when the need arises, a “plus one” from the typical three-pointer if the circumstances offer high reward for such high risk.
For now, let the shooters shine from greater distance.
(Ramon Rafael C. Bonilla is the Sports Editor of Manila Bulletin.)