PBA: The return of 'King' James

James Yap hardly sat on the bench during the quarterfinals series against the Meralco Bolts. That's because when he wasn't playing he was stretched out on the floor with a hot compress on his lower back.

Yap hasn't been fully healthy since the last conference ,where he limped around the Philippine Cup on a bad ankle, only to struggle with back issues in the current one. The guy hasn't had a real break to live up to the myth he created for himself over his PBA career

"Habang tumatagal ako sa loob, naninigas, the more na napapagod ka," said Yap, explaining his injury.

We had a James Yap that was at, maybe, 50 percent of what fans were used to. This version couldn't get separation from his man, didn't have the same lift on his fade-away 18-footers and lagged behind on defense. In his last five games before game three of the quarterfinals he totaled only 25 points on 11-of-34 shooting from the field.

James Yap looked mortal.

Few people expected James Yap to be a factor coming into this series. But against all odds, Yap was there when his team needed a leader on the floor.

Yap asked for the ball and established his presence in the first quarter. When Denzel Bowles was subbed out after taking a cut to the face, Yap hit a long three-pointer on their next possession, before setting up PJ Simon for a mid-range shot, forcing the Bolts to call a timeout.

Before the half ended, James Yap had 14 of his 20 points, a number that lead the San Mig locals in the game, tiding the Mixers over before Bowles and Marc Pingris finished the job in the second half.

"Talagang inisip kong wala nang bukas, bahala na kung anong mangyari," Yap said after the game.

Performances like these are the reason we want to believe in inspiring words like heart, grit and determination, and sports myths like the "playoff switch" and the "clutch factor." But in reality words don't heal wounds, and they belie the actual labor that goes into getting ready to play.

"Nagdadasal lang ako na mabawasan pa nang maayos. Ni-work out ko 'to for two days para lang makalaro ako sa game na 'to," Yap said. He proceeded to list physical therapies, ultrasound and chiropractic treatments he did to get himself ready for win-or-go-home Wednesday. Working against the pain, Yap did everything short of consulting an arbularyo to get into the best game shape he could.

Why? Because that's what he does. Because he's Big Game James.

[Related: San Mig Coffee Mixers cut off Meralco Bolts, advance to semis]

"Well ako naman, hangga't kaya, maglalaro ako. Ganon talaga ang basketball. It's a physical game. Kung meron kang nararamdaman na sakit, naa-affect ang performance mo. Pero laban lang hangga't kaya," he told me before heading home for some much deserved rest.

Will his body catch up with him? Eventually. Certainly. He's not even certain of coming back to face the Alaska Aces in the semifinals, pending a positive result from his MRI scheduled today. But if the Mixers become severely outgunned and find themselves in a hole, it would be unwise to bet against his return. - AMD, GMA News