La Salle’s Mike Phillips against UP in Game 1 of the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball Finals. Photo from UAAP Media.

MANILA — Mike Phillips was one of the few bright spots in De La Salle University’s second-half meltdown in Game 1 of the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball Finals.

The 6-foot-8 forward finished with 17 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, and a steal in the Green Archers’ 73-65 loss, with these numbers putting some life in what was almost a flat last 20 minutes of gameplay from the defending champions.

READ: UP weathers early Quiambao onslaught, stuns La Salle for 1-0 lead

“Coach [Topex Robinson] said before the game that it’s gonna be a game of runs,” Phillips told ABS-CBN News right before he exited the Araneta Coliseum on Sunday.

“We just had to be prepared because this was not gonna be a blowout and it was not gonna be an easy game, but what I’m really grateful for is that we still have a lot of chances to see what happened in that third quarter and in that second half.”

Much like DLSU’s main man Kevin Quiambao who only had a solitary point after firing 18 in the first half, the Archers were shackled to shooting only 11-of-36 from the field (30.6%) in the second half, while also committing nine of their total 18 turnovers in the same span.

But even with Quiambao and the rest of his teammates misfiring, Phillips refused to dwell on this and instead opted to look at the intangibles that even allowed them to get as close as four, 65-61, after trailing by 11.

“Of course, I still give props to KQ,” pointed out ‘Motor’ Mike. “He was still giving it his all, not just in scoring, and andiyan pa rin yung passion nila and I saw it. We just really need to bring it out and kind of times it by 10.”

However, if there is one thing that the former Gilas Pilipinas member wants to hold accountable, it is no other than himself.
La Salle’s Mike Phillips against UP in Game 1 of the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball Finals. Photo from UAAP Media.“For me, my challenge is how I can really help lead the team,” Phillips emphasized. “Like I said, it’s not gonna be through more words, but actions. The responsibility is bigger, so we really have to show what it means to come back. Not just on the court, but also spiritually, mentally, and show the guys what it means to be a Lasallian.”

“The Lasallian spirit is, we have this saying: ‘Never shall we fail.’ But it’s not really that we’re never gonna lose, but it’s how you are formed out of those. I’ve been in La Salle for four or five years, and we have Lasallian class, learn about St. John Baptist De La Salle, all these things, it’s gonna come into play these coming days.”

“So personally, more than the basketball side, it’s more on the inspiring side. How can I lift these guys up? It’s the first playoffs and first Finals for a lot of these guys, so it’s about really keeping the faith within each other.”

Aside from doing his part, Phillips is also urging his teammates to apply all these lessons so that they can toughen up mentally, physically, and emotionally, as they brace for yet another elimination in Game 2.

“It’s gonna be a collective effort,” he said. “It’s important how you perceive things and how you accept things.”

“It’s easier said than done, but that’s what the championship and the Finals are all about, embracing the hardships. Nothing is given and nothing is easy,” added Phillips in a separate interview.