Photo: PBA Images
By Art Ramirez
Andrei Caracut played one of his best games of his Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) career with volleyball star Bella Belen in the stands.
Caracut scored 29 points while shooting 6-of-12 from threes in the Elasto Painters' 113-104 win over San Miguel to advance to the semifinals.
Incidentally, among the people on the stands for Friday's game was Belen, the Capital1 spiker who is rumored to be the girlfriend of Caracut.
Caracut dodged questions - directly or indirectly - about Belen and her presence in the game that may have inspired him to play Friday's game which turned out to be his playoff best.
“I was inspired because of the work that my teammates have displayed,” said Caracut in Filipino. “I see how how they work in practice so I was inspired.”
On how the presence of Belen helped, Caracut said: “I played well because she might replace me as the point guard of Rain or Shine.”
In all seriousness, Caracut paid tribute to his teammates for also helping them get the win.
Caelan Tiongson was one of the locals that stepped up with 23 points and seven assists, with Jaylen Johnson also playing big with 23 points and 12 rebounds.
“There were games that I felt down. But it's not me alone. My teammates played well like Caelan and Jaylen, all of them contributed. A good win for us,” said Caracut.