TEXTERS BRACE FOR E-PAINTERS’ FIGHTBACK
TALK N Text considers itself lucky for getting the headstart over Rain or Shine in their PBA Commissioner’s Cup championship series.
It will all be about the Tropang Texters not leaving anything to chance as as they gear up for the expected all-out bid by the Elasto Painters 7 p.m. Friday in Game 2 of the best-of-seven duel at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“We need something to break the ice and for sure, we’ll come out harder on Friday,” said Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao moments after his team’s 92-99 loss in the series opener last Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
It is precisely what TNT coach Jong Uichico projects, that is why he is bracing his team–mostly on the mental aspects of the game–for what should be another testy match.
“We’re happy we won, but we’re not satisfied with the way we played,” said Uichico in the post-game interview. “Although we won we didn’t show the level of emotion we did in the Purefoods (semifinal) series and we can’t just let Rain or Shine go into a run because they know they have the capability of scoring really well.”
Indeed, it took Ranidel de Ocampo lacing his 24 points with five in the last 2:31 of play and Jayson Castro booming in a dagger of a 3 that made it a 96-86 game in the final 1:26 mark before the E-Painters could be kept completely at bay.
Still, De Ocampo echoed the team’s collective sentiment when he said there is no reason to celebrate.
“S’werte lang kami na nanalo kami ngayon. Sa tingin ko dapat sila ‘yung nanalo ngayon kasi nagmintis lang sila ng 15 free throws. So sa tingin ko s’werte lang pagkapanalo namin,” De Ocampo pointed out.
Maintaining that sharp edge the Texters showed so well throughout the eliminations and semis should be key, added the veteran forward.
“Masarap sa pakiramdam kapag nananalo ka talaga ng Game One. Iba ‘yung nasimulan mo ng panalo ‘yung series. Pero ang nangyari kasi sa laro namin, masasabi ko na hindi maganda yung nilaro namin,” stated De Ocampo.
“Hindi pa talaga ‘yung laro namin talaga na pulido. Malamya. Kalagitnaan ng first half flat. Hindi pang-championship ‘yung laro namin kanina, nag-re-react lang kami kapag ‘yung nahahabol na kami. Dapat hindi ganoon. Dapat kahit anong mangyari nandoon pa din ‘yung disiplina namin. ‘Yun ‘yung wala sa amin kanina kaya hindi ganon kasaya mga players namin kanina.”
His team’s defense is also gnawing at Uichico’s mind. “We gave up too many points,” he said.
It did not help Rain or Shine any that it missed 15 of 33 free throw attempts and committed 17 turnovers which TNT converted into 15 points.
“We just have to go back to practice tomorrow and try to improve our free throws, try to find a solution to the turnovers we committed,” said Guiao.
“I think we played pretty decent defensively. We were able to limit their three-point shooting, but they did the same to us,” continued Guiao.
“However, if we had made a few more free throws, the game would have been closer. If we had minimized our turnovers, the game would have been a lot closer. But those things happen.”
The tolls of playing a fifth game in 15 days did not seem to affect the Texters much as they showed enough rhythm to take control of the game right in the first quarter and even led by as many as 13 points.
The reverse is true of the E-Painters, who were coming off an eight-day break but missed some point-blank tries and even wide-open three-point shots.
Still, there are positive signs for Rain or Shine.
The E-Painters wound up making 33 of 80 field shots to TNT’s 35-for-91 clip from the floor and, for the first time in quite a while, even emerged with a 55-50 rebounding edge that gave them a 12-2 advantage in second chance points.
Rain or Shine’s defense on Castro also proved relatively effective as the leading Best Player of the Conference candidate was limited to 14 points on 5-for-15 shooting, both well below his 25 points and 54.5 percent field shooting averages in the semis.
The man hot on the heels of Castro in the BPC race, Paul Lee, did not fare that much better himself after going 5-for-12 from the field for 13 points.
Wayne Chism also notched 34 points and 14 rebounds to get the better of TNT counterpart Ivan Johnson, who wound up with 23 and 12. (NC)
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