TNT guard Mikey Williams. PBA Media Bureau
After some early struggles in the semifinals of the 2021 PBA Philippine Cup, highly-touted rookie Mikey Williams of TNT recovered his form in the nick of time for the TNT Tropang GIGA.
Dealing with one of the best defenders in the league in Chris Ross, Williams endured a rocky series against San Miguel, and was held to just nine points on 3-of-14 shooting in a 103-90 Game 6 loss.
But he made up for it in Game 7 with his best game of the series, firing 20 points on top of six rebounds and six assists in a 97-79 TNT win.
He and the Tropang GIGA will now play in the best-of-seven finals against the Magnolia Hotshots, with TNT searching for its first PBA title since 2015.
For his efforts, Williams earned Player of the Week honors.
He averaged 15.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists, and shot a blistering 45% from beyond the arc in the last three games of the series.
He had 18 points on four three-pointers along with four assists and a steal in TNT's 110-90 win in Game 5, before suffering a letdown in Game 6.
But Williams made sure to bounce back, and was instrumental in TNT's breakaway as they routed San Miguel to return to the All-Filipino finals for the second straight season.
Williams edged out teammates Roger Pogoy and Troy Rosario, as well as Magnolia's Mark Barroca, Ian Sangalang, Calvin Abueva and Jio Jalalon for the weekly honor being handed by the group covering the PBA beat.
Pogoy, who erupted for a game-high 27 points on 4-of-6 shooting from deep in the sudden-death match, also received votes for the weekly award given for the period Oct. 13-17.