STREAKING BEERMEN WARY OF ELITE LIGHTNING
San Miguel Miguel Beer coach Leo Austria has far better things in mind than his team’s league-best winning streak.
“Wala sa amin iyon,” said Austria, referring to his team’s seven-game roll. “Ang tinitingnan namin iyung continuously mag-improve para whatever happens pagdating namin sa quarterfinals handa kami. Iyun ang goals namin. Iyung streak icing lang iyon.”
How realizable those SMB objectives are would be known Tuesday when it collides with slumping Blackwater at 4:15 p.m. in the PBA Governors’ Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
A win should cement the Beermen’s claim to one of the top four slots and its accompanying twice-to-win advantage in the ensuing quarterfinals. It would also practically eliminate the Elite from contending for one of the eight quarterfinals slots.
At first glance, Blackwater seems as good as doomed since it has lost four straight and is mired at the cellar. But Austria is not one to take anything for granted.
“We should never underestimate Blackwater since halos lahat ng laro nila, good start,” stressed Austria.
“Isa pa, kahit nasa bottom ang mga iyan kapag tinalo kami para na ring nag-champion ang mga iyan kaya we really have to come with our A-game,” added Austria.
Such a bitter reversal from the hands of the Elite has already been tasted by the Beermen in the mid-season Commissioner’s Cup and Austria stated: “We don’t want that to happen to us again.”
Yet anything is possible and Blackwater has the tools enough to forge another lightning.
Even though Kia’s fellow expansion team lost a 91-98 decision to Talk N Text last Friday, Brian Heruela shone with 21 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds while new import Marcus Cousin debuted with 16 points and nine rebounds.
Bryan Faundo, former Tropang Texter Bambam Gamalinda, Reil Cervantes and Robby Celiz also dished out decent performances although the Elite failed to hold on to an early lead and faded in the stretch.
Blackwater should have learned from that TNT game and Austria could do nothing but prepare his own team for any eventuality.
“We have a gameplan, pero siyempre kailangan handa kaming mag-adjust din,” said Austria, who would be leaning most on Arizona Reid, June Mar Fajardo, Arwind Santos, Marcio Lassiter, Chris Ross, Ronald Tubid and Alex Cabagnot. (NC)
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