GETTING BACK THEIR BEARINGS
How do coach Jeff Cariaso and his Barangay Ginebra San Miguel team respond coming from a loss?
That’s basically the question as the Kings return to the floor after suffering a first defeat at the hands of the San Mig Super Coffee Mixers Sunday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
It could well be another tough grind as the Kings tangle with a Barako Bull team now practically fighting to survive in the PLDT Home Telpad PBA Governors’ Cup.
While Ginebra (3-1) looks to stay among the leaders, Barako Bull will be out to spring out of the cellar that it currently shares with Meralco at 1-4.
The Kings and the Energy slug it out at 8 p.m. at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
“We’re playing a superb import in (Eric) Wise. He has proven to be an ultimate reliable scorer. This team can easily be 4-1,” said Cariaso.
The Energy dropped close matches to San Miguel Beer and Rain or Shine in their last two games. Their two other defeats came at the hands of San Mig Coffee and Air21.
Cariaso is hoping they learn their lesson from their 90-102 loss to San Mig Coffee.
“We weren’t mentally strong enough after a couple of turnovers,” Cariaso said at the end of their three-game streak.
“Instead of being mentally strong, I think we put our heads down a little bit and we’re thinking about more of the turnovers instead of bringing the ball down and execute,” Cariaso added.
After 40 minutes of white-knuckle battle, San Mig Coffee flexed its muscles harder and employed a tough full-court press to rattle and beat Ginebra.
The Mixers choked the Kings with the press, making numerous stops that fueled their sudden breakaway on the way to the top of the heap with a 4-1 win-loss record.
San Mig Coffee coach Tim Cone said it’s part of a learning process for his former assistant Cariaso and his Ginebra team.
“This will be a lesson for them. When this happens again, they’ll grow and get better. That’s where we’ve been through,” Cone said. (SB)
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