INSPIRED ENERGY COLA HOPING TO KEEP KINGS WINLESS
Winless in four games, the Barangay Ginebra Kings have deviated from their regular rituals still in hope of solving their woes.
They cut their video showing and sat together in a long serious talk in preparation for an all-out battle against the Barako Bull Energy Cola in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
They came out of a two-hour closed-door meeting at the Xavier gym Monday determined to nail an elusive first win versus Barako in their 7:30 p.m. tiff.
“Lahat ng players naniniwala we should stay positive,” said coach Alfrancis Chua. “Kumpiyansa lang. Marami naman kaming shots. Almost 80 percent nga lang ayaw pumasok. Kailangan tiwala sa sarili.”
While the Kings hope to get out of the doldrums, the Energy Cola look to get going, seeking solo second place in the leaderboard with a 4-1 card.
The Energy Cola have earned early good results with the changes they made in their lineup and system during the league break – a thing that can’t be said of the Kings with their own facelift.
“We’re playing as a team, offensively and defensively. The guys believe in the system we’re running. That’s our secret,” said Ramos.
Josh Urbiztondo made a big explosion at the right time, keying Barako Bull’s amazing turnaround in the homestretch as the Energy Cola stunned the Air21 Express, 91-86, Friday.
Urbiztondo poured in 13 of his 15 points in the last six minutes of play, fueling the Energy Cola’s incredible fightback from a 10-point deficit en route to win No. 3 in the mid-season tourney.
“My shots just won’t fall and everything was not going right for me. I have to give it to my teammates who urged me to just keep on playing,” said the pesky Fil-Am playmaker.
“These guys believe in the system that we’re playing. They’re working hard. They’re coming early in practice. And step by step, they’re picking up what we want them to play,” said Barako coaching consultant Rajko Toroman.
The Serbian coach was ecstatic with the stirring victory over the Express they pulled off even with Jonas Villanueva going out early due to a hamstring pull.
Toroman is optimistic they can surge on with the available talent that they’ve got.
The Energy Cola are bracing up for a possible Vernon Macklin breakthrough.
Macklin, the replacement to Herbert Hill, hardly got into the groove, scoring only 16 points on 35-percent shooting in their 69-84 loss to the Alaska Aces Saturday in Tubod, Lanao del Norte. (SB)
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