HOTSHOTS TEST BATANG PIER’S METTLE
DEFENDING champion Star is admittedly still searching for the form that carried it to a coveted Grand Slam last season, when it was known as San Mig Coffee.
Whether the Hotshots will be able to find their game as soon as Tuesday would be known when they clash with GlobalPort in the PBA Governors’ Cup at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The Batang Pier are looking to stretch their best-ever start with a third straight win in the 4:15 p.m. match that would give them solo leadership.
GlobalPort coach Pido Jarencio said his team running on all cylinders is a must if it wants to reak out of its current tie with Alaska and Barako Bull.
“We need our A-game tomorrow against Purefoods defensively and offensively,” said Jarencio.
Purefoods coach Tim Cone simply wants his team of last season to show up.
The Hotshots won over NLEX 89-85 last Saturday, giving Cone some semblance of relief.
“We got that first one under our belt, which is great, but now we have to go through a tough, young team that is playing very well,” said Cone.
Yet the way his charges scrambled just to fend off the Road Warriors was not the kind of game Cone wanted.
“I’m frustrated,” said Cone after the NLEX match. “We’re not playing as well as we should be. Maybe we’ll warm up and get better as the conference goes along, but it’s still a struggle for our ‘Big Three’ just to stay focused.”
Cone was referring to James Yap, Marc Pingris and Peter June Simon, who combined for only 19 points.
“They’ve played so much basketball and won so much that I feel that they’re getting kind of bored with the game already. It’s very difficult from a coaching standpoint to keep them focused and I can relate to them. I’ve been on Ping really hard to get him focused and get him going,” said Cone.
“It’s been a struggle.”
Now comes a GlobalPort gang that has racked up wins over Meralco and Blackwater and seems comfortable under the run-and-gun system instituted by Jarencio.
“Up-tempo game namin, takbo lang ng takbo,” said Jarencio in explaining his overall strategy of exerting pressure on the other side.
“Ang sabi ko iyung second half namin dapat stronger para maging habit namin,” added Jarencio, whose team has now won by an average of 21.5 points, also a team record.
Making GlobalPort more upbeat is the fact Stanley Pringle has now seen action after missing the Batang Pier’s last four games dating back to the Commissioner’s Cup due to an ankle sprain. Against the Elite, he notched 18 points, three rebounds, four assists and two steals in 15 minutes.
With Terrence Romeo off to a fiery start with an average of 23 points, GlobalPort has every reason to be optimistic going to the match against Star.
Suiting up for the Batang Pier against Star is veteran import Steve Thomas, who was tapped as interim import replacing Patrick O’Bryant. Thomas will be patrolling the lanes for GlobalPort while it awaits original choice Jarrid Famous.
The Hotshots, however, boast of more than Marqus Blakely, who sizzled for 28 points, 18 rebounds, seven steals and five blocked shots in their first game.
Their import’s all-around efforts were also complemented by Alex Mallari, Mark Barroca and Allein Maliksi, enabling the Hotshots to make up for the sub-par performances of their more established stars.
“We’d like to establish some early momentum in this conference and take advantage of our familiarity with each other, our import and our system. That’s our strength going into this conference,” stated Cone. (NC)
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