Jeff Chan played his best game in a Barangay Ginebra uniform against his former team Rain or Shine on Sunday at the Big Dome.
Chan finally regained his deadly form as he unleashed 21 points, including three long bombs, in just 22 minutes of action. His efficient outing helped the Barangay take a 102-89 victory over the Elasto Painters in Game 1 of their semifinal showdown.
Two of Chan's booming triples came in a pivotal fourth quarter where Ginebra went on a 23-4 scoring spree that put them on top by 24 points. He also nailed a pair of freebies, converted on a layup, and dished an assist in that remarkable stretch that silenced Rain or Shine's comeback attempts.
This is a significant milestone for Chan, who only averaged 5.6 points and drained one of 13 3-pointers in his first five games with his new team.
"I can say that I'm already comfortable. I'm already getting it but not yet fully," said the 35-year-old gunner. "The other day, coach Tim [Cone] and I talked regarding my role, so it's like I was given the green light [to shoot]."
Cone knew it was only a matter of time before Chan heats up and assimilates himself with the Gin King's offense.
"As you can see, Jeff is a really great weapon when he's got good players around him. When he's got really good players around him who can create openings for him, he is really dynamic, and Jeff showed that to us tonight," shared Cone.
"I think so far, in that game, he was the difference between our offense with him and our offense without him in the past. Makes us a tougher team," he added.
Rain or Shine coach Caloy Garcia was not surprised to see his former player deliver key baskets.
"Well, Jeff is really a great player ever since coming from Phoenix ... " Garcia said. "But we know how dangerous really Jeff is. It's also nice to see a former Rain or Shine player play well, but hopefully not against us. But you know, kudos to them."
Chan insisted that his timely onslaught has nothing to do with facing his old squad -- his home for eight seasons before being shipped to Phoenix in 2017 and then to Ginebra last month.
"I'm happy with my new team now," Chan said. "All I can say is that team, Rain or Shine, I love that team. A lot of things happened there but I need to move on to where I'm present now, which is Ginebra. We have a goal here."
The Gin Kings aim to ride the momentum of their eight-game win streak when the best-of-five series resumes on Tuesday.