The last time Anthony Semerad played for a championship was during his college days in San Beda.
He has never been to a winning team in the PBA until a multi-team trade involving his former team GlobalPort brought him to TNT KaTropa.
Now, Semerad is just a win away from reaching his first PBA finals stint as KaTropa are up 2-0 against Ginebra in the Oppo PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinlas.
“I just want to give all my best, give every shot that I can take and hopefully, we can get it this time. For me, it’s my first time,” Semerad said when asked about the prospects of reaching the finals.
The Fil-Australian forward’s job since being recruited by TNT wasn’t easy.
On offense, he has to be a floor spacer. He proved his capability of knocking down shots in Game 2 as he hit four triples in the fourth period to propel KaTropa to victory.
On defense, Semerad has to play the role of an import stopper, trying to make things difficult for prolific Barangay Ginebra import Justin Brownlee.
“That’s exactly the role of Tony. We got him, number one, to be a defensive player. A tough, physical player. But at the same time, we know that he is a floor spacer,” TNT coach Nash Racela said.
“With the way Ginebra has been defending, those are the shots we will have. As long as we’re ready to take those, we’ll have a chance of making it.”
Semerad is determined to give his all once again to help TNT to advance to the finals.
“I just have to be careful with my fouls,” Semerad said. “I had four or five on him (Brownlee). I just have to come in the next game smarter. I’ll be careful.”
