Taulava: We have to go back to basics, play defense
Asi Taulava. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Sick all week long, 42-year-old Asi Taulava defied the odds once again and scored 31 points to go with eight rebounds in NLEX’s game on Friday.
It was the Fil-Tongan’s highest output in eight years, or since he dropped 32 markers for Coca Cola against Welcoat on Dec. 16, 2007.
Unfortunately, his high output went down the drain as Mahindra clipped NLEX, 103-93, to send the Road Warriors to their second straight defeat in the 2016 Smart Bro PBA Philippine
Cup.
That’s why Taulava said that he would trade his high scoring output just for a chance to win the game.
“It would be better if I had two points and we won the game,” he said. “We got to do the small stuff, work together on our defense. I guess that when we got down so big, I started posting everybody up. But that shouldn’t be the point, everybody should be working together. I’d rather have more assists than me having forcing my way in and score and put myself in a position like that. It’s not healthy for me in the long run where I have to exert myself in the post. I’d be much happier if my teammates play together and find ways to make stops, keep the score lower.”
Taulava noted that the difference between NLEX’s 2-0 start and its current two-game slide is that their defense hasn’t been its best and they have been letting opponents score too easily.
“We played defense then. We stuck to the game plan and helped one another,” the 2003 PBA MVP said. “All of a sudden, we play Star and Mahindra, everybody wants to play offense. We’re giving up too many points. That’s not going to get the job done. We have to go back to the basics, play defense, defend our man one-on-one, and try to make stops. We have to worry about the defense side before we start thinking of our offense.”
Not one to offer any excuses, Taulava just reminded his teammates to get their act together if they want to arrest their current slide.
“There’s no excuses. It’s basketball. We have a week to recover. Nobody should have any excuses. Everybody should come in, work hard, and prove yourself that you belong in the PBA,” he said.
NLEX goes up against Talk ‘N Text next Friday.
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