TEXTERS, CARNIVAL IN DO-OR-DIE COLLISION
IN ITS first two conferences in the PBA, Kia has failed to get past the eliminations. But assistant coach Chito Victolero wants his Carnival to adopt the thinking that they are in the Finals.
“Championship game for us. We cannot afford to lose. If we lose we’re out,” said Victolero, referring to his team’s match with Talk N Text 4:15 p.m. Friday in the PBA Governors’ Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“We need to have that sense of urgency and the mindset na do-or-die kami,” added the man calling the shots in lieu of injured playing-coach Manny Pacquiao.
Indeed, the winner stokes its drive for a quarterfinals berth while the loser can practically kiss goodbye its aspirations to be included among the eight teams advancing to the next round.
There is indeed no tomorrow for TNT, which is hoping to wind up its elimination round games on a very bright note and hope it is enough.
Kia actually has another game remaining, against Meralco at eliminations end on Wednesday, but Victolero wants his players to get the job done now, no matter how tough the task is.
“It’s very hard because Talk N Text is very talented, experienced and a champion team,” said Victolero. “But we will fight until the end because that’s the character that we want to build, never-say-die.”
Unveiling the heart and character of a champion is indeed what TNT plans on doing, more so now that it has lost five of its last six games, the last a 93-105 drubbing from defending champion Star last Tuesday.
Steffphon Pettigrew, Jayson Castro, Ranidel de Ocampo, Larry Fonacier and Sam Daghles continue to churn out the numbers, but help from the other Tropang Texters have come too few and far-between.
For its part, Kia has lost four of its last five games, the last a 90-94 heartbreaker to Rain or Shine last Wednesday when the Carnival kept the game close, only to fade in the stretch.
Coming off a 31-point, 21-rebound, eight-block game against the Elasto Painters, seven-foot Hamady N’Diaye should again prove to be a big factor for Kia as well as Karl Dehesa, LA Revilla, Jet Chang and Alex Nuyles. (NC)
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