Rookie Keith Datu made a rousing return after being sidelined for five games to power Rain or Shine to a come-from-behind 113-101 victory over NLEX in the Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup yesterday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Downed by pneumonia and a knee injury after his terrific debut against Meralco last November when he scored 17 points, the 6-foot-7 Datu made up for his absence by firing 11 points, including three triples, and pulled down five rebounds and posted four shotblocks.
One of two first-round draft picks of the Elasto Painters, Datu finally gave head coach Yeng Guiao all the reason to look forward to their next games.
“You cannot ask for more on Keith’s game. He’s a perfect fit for us,” Guiao said.
Datu’s hefty contribution was felt mostly during a massive fourth-quarter rally by Rain or Shine that turned an 84-all deadlock to a 109-97 advantage going into the dying moments.
Before beating the Road Warriors, the E-Painters had dropped their first five games and their latest win — their second overall — shoved them back into contention for a playoff berth.
“That’s what we’ve missed the last five games,” Guiao said, referring to Datu’s return.
“It’s nice when you have a weapon like Keith. He’s a big man who can step up and shoot and post up on top of rebounding and playing defense.”
