MANILA, Philippines – Marcio Lassiter further cemented his status as one of the greatest shooters to ever grace the PBA.
Lassiter moved to No. 5 in the all-time three-pointers list after helping San Miguel coast to an emphatic 109-85 win over Magnolia for a 2-0 lead in the Commissioner’s Cup finals on Sunday, February 4.
Knocking down three treys and finishing with 11 points, the 36-year-old gunner hiked his tally to 1,173 three-pointers as he surpassed PBA legend Ronnie Magsanoc, who ended his career with 1,171 triples, for a spot in the top five.
“Truly blessed. This is definitely an honor,” said Lassiter. “I would not be here without my teammates, my coaches – past and present. This is something that the team helped me get to.”
Although already the second-oldest player in the team after 38-year-old Chris Ross, Lassiter has remained just as lethal from beyond the arc.
In 15 games this conference, Lassiter is averaging a league-leading 48.6% from three-point land.
He has been particularly deadly in the playoffs, making 16 of his 29 three-point attempts (55%) in the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals combined as the Beermen ride on a franchise-record-tying 11-game winning streak.
“Every day is a constant battle to keep on getting better and better,” said Lassiter.
“I’m just blessed to not be as injured and able to play majority of the games for our team. Just sticking to my strengths. The team needs me to stretch the floor out.”
After eclipsing Magsanoc, Lassiter can also leapfrog two-time MVP James Yap, who is fourth in the list with 1,189 triples.
Barangay Ginebra veteran LA Tenorio is not too far ahead as well at No. 3 with 1,211 three-pointers, while retired legends Jimmy Alapag (1,250) and Allan Caidic (1,242) own the No. 1 and 2 spots, respectively.
“I’m always honored if I can be on the same breath as those guys. Just go to continue to keep working hard, never be satisfied,” said Lassiter. – Rappler.com