EXPERT IN GETTING INTO RIVAL’S HEAD
With June Mar Fajardo saddled with foul trouble, coach Leo Austria had to dig deep from his bench and called Gabby Espinas’ number.
Taken prior to the conference in a monstrous six-man, four-team trade, Austria believed that the former PCU Dolphin can provide the Beermen the help it badly needed in the paint.
Against Barako Bull on Wednesday, Espinas certainly had his hands full containing the Energy’s 7-foot reinforcement Liam McMorrow.
Giving up at least ten inches in height, the Olongapo City native actually did a decent job defending the big man, keeping the Canadian giant ineffective during crunch time enabling San Miguel to eke out a 116-113 victory and hand Barako Bull its first defeat.
So how did Espinas do it?
Simple. He got in McMorrow’s head.
“Kung gusto mong sirain yung laro nya, asarin mo siya,” Espinas said. “Eh naasar siya kaya nagkaganun.”
Though McMorrow still had 31 points and 25 rebounds in the game, a lot of those stats were hard-earned, with Espinas on his neck for most of the game.
The hardworking forward admitted that he had a number of physical tussles with McMorrow, and he did not hold back on the verbal barbs.
“Sabi niya sa akin, malambot daw ako. Pilipino ako, ako pa tatakutin nya? Pwede ba yun? Di naman siguro, kaya tina-trash talk ko na rin siya,” Espinas said.
McMorrow might have had his stats, but at the end of the day, it was Espinas who went home flashing his pearly whites. (RL)
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