MANILA, Philippines – Roger Pogoy calls it a miracle.

Pogoy came back earlier than anticipated from a health scare as he played his first game of the 2023-2024 PBA season, helping TNT claim a 116-96 win over Phoenix on Sunday, January 14.

Expected to be out for six months after being diagnosed with myocarditis – a condition that weakens the heart and reduce its ability to pump blood – in September, Pogoy delivered 11 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals.

His return could not have come at a better time as the Tropang Giga clinched the eighth and last quarterfinal berth in the Commissioner’s Cup.

“This is a miracle. Thank you Lord,” said Pogoy in Filipino.

Pogoy was at a high as he suited up for Gilas Pilipinas in the FIBA World Cup, which the country co-hosted from August to September.

That stint included a momentous victory over China as the Philippines won a World Cup match for the first time since 2014.

He was also supposed to represent the national team in the Asian Games in China, but his diagnosis of the rare heart condition forced him to be sidelined.

“I was shocked because I was fresh from the World Cup. It was the highest level of basketball, then I was suddenly down,” said Pogoy. “I just prayed and asked Lord to take care of me. Whatever his plan was, I just trusted him.”

“When I had my second MRI scan, the doctor cleared me.”

Pogoy, though, knows he has a lot of catching up to do after being away from competitive basketball for four months.

“I’m lucky that my first shot went in. But with my third and fourth shots, I felt that my legs were still weak,” said the Cebuano guard.

Still groping for his old form, Pogoy will be thrown into the fire as TNT battles twice-to-beat Magnolia in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, January 17, at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig. – Rappler.com