KINGS START PLAYOFFS MODE VS. BATANG PIER
ONE would think Barangay Ginebra San Miguel would be down following back-to-back losses. Far from it.
In fact, coach Jeffrey Cariaso remains upbeat going to his Kings’ clash with GlobalPort 3 p.m. Sunday in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“For us, the playoffs start tomorrow,” stated Cariaso on the eve of the match that holds so much importance for the protagonists.
A win by Ginebra would not only bounce it back from sorry defeats at the hands of San Miguel Beer and Meralco but also keep alive its hopes of making it among the top two who will be given automatic semifinals seats following the 11-game eliminations.
For GlobalPort, a victory is a must for it to move up and possibly finish among the top six who are rewarded a twice-to-beat advantage each in the ensuing first phase of the quarterfinals.
The Batang Pier are themselves also losers of two straight and interim coach Eric Gonzales, who takes over from Pido Jarencio, would rather let his team’s game do the talking.
Cariaso prefers to look at the silver lining from his team’s own recent losses.
“Good thing about coming off two straight losses at this point is the opportunity to learn and improve,” said Cariaso. “We have to use the adversity to prepare and motivate us going into the final three games (of the eliminations). “
The teams should have their hands full against each other.
Of utmost priority for Cariaso is how to take a page out of SMB’s defensive book and stifle GlobalPort’s fearsome foursome of Terrence Romeo, Alex Cabagnot, Stanley Pringle and Ronjay Buenafe.
In a 95-69 victory last Tuesday, the Beermen held the four to a 27-point total, some 33 below their combined conference average coming into that game.
That doesn’t mean the four backcourt men would not bounce back big-time and complement the likes of Mark Isip, Keith Jensen and Yancy de Ocampo.
Ginebra has the frontline advantage with its own vaunted pair of Greg Slaughter and Japeth Aguilar, but the likes of Joseph Yeo, Mark Caguioa, Mark Baracael and LA Tenorio must hit their outside shots to stretch the defense first.
Ditto for GlobalPort, giving rise to Cariaso’s main concern.
“GlobalPort’s guards will easily challenge our defense tomorrow,” he said. (NC)
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