CARNIVAL ON COLLISION COURSE WITH ENERGY
A CONFERENCE of promise is fast turning into yet another exercise in futility for Kia.
How the Carnival would right themselves and stoke their own drive for a quarterfinals berth should be had Wednesday when they clash with league-leader Barako Bull in the PBA Governors’ Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Energy are looking for a win that would not only cement their hold on one of the eight slots in the quarterfinals, but also fan their hopes of making it among the top four rewarded with a win-once advantage in the last eight.
Kia, on the other hand, is looking to snap out of a two-game slide, a quite unexpected turn for the same squad that started the season-ending tourney by winning three of its first four games.
Although the Carnival remain well within the ranks of those squads which have the inside track for slots in the next round, Chito Victolero, calling the shots for the Carnival in lieu of injured playing-coach Manny Pacquiao, knows they can’t afford another loss.
“Tomorrow’s game is very, very important for us. It’s like a do-or-die game for us because of the situation and the team standings,” said Victolero. “Dikit-dikit. One win you go up, one loss you go down. We need to play hard and give our best for this game. Plus, we will play the No. 1 team so it’s very hard.
“But I trust my players and my team, that we can have a good game tomorrow. We need this kind of game and situation in order for us to go to the next level.”
Already riding the crest of a superlative run is Barako Bull, a crew that has finished no higher than sixth in the last nine tournaments but now considered among those to watch out for.
Despite the gap between his team and Kia in the standings, Energy coach Koy Banal still wants his charges to not take anything for granted and go all-out.
“Kia is a very dangerous team. Their win-loss record does not reflect what they are capable of. We cannot afford to be complacent against them,” said Banal.
“We have to find a way how to motivate ourselves to prepare well for tomorrow’s game. We are grateful for where we are now but we have to understand that we have not achieved anything yet. We just have to keep pushing ourselves and keep moving forward.”
One thing that goes for Kia is the fact Hamady N’Diaye, who sat out the last 14:27 of the game against Alaska last Friday after being accidentally scraped in the eye by Calvin Abueva, has been declared fit enough to see action.
Aside from the seven-foot Senegalese, good for 15.5 points, 14.5 rebounds and 5.0 blocks per game, the Carnival are also leaning heavily on Taiwanese import Jet Chang, LA Revilla, Karl Dehesa and Alex Nuyles.
Barako, however, boasts of its own seven-footer in Liam McMorrow, as well as Joseph Yeo, JC Intal, RR Garcia and Dylan Ababou and has a pair of known defenders in Willy Wilson and Jake Pascual to boot. (NC)
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