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GINEBRA
coach Jong Uichico contends their two smashing victories
don’t mean anything.
Besides
tying the series at two games apiece, the Kings, he
said, has not accomplished anything yet. That’s why he’s
exhorting his troops to put behind their achievements in
Games Three and Four and brace for the “Mother of all
Battles” when they face the Beermen in Game Five of the
Talk ’N Text-Philippine Basketball Association
Philippine Cup Finals.
Certainly, Uichico’s apprehension is justifiable. He
knows San Miguel’s potential like the back of his palm.
After
all, he was the Beermen’s coach from 1999 up to last
season until a management-initiated revamp landed him at
Ginebra during the off-season. In a span of 17
conferences, Uichico led the Beermen to nine Finals
appearances and won six championships.
“You
can’t expect them [SMB] to play that way in Game Five,”
said Uichico, referring to the Beermen’s breakdown the
past two games. “So we can’t take them for granted.”
Game
Five of the best-of-seven series for the league’s most
coveted jewel is set at 7 o’clock tonight at the Araneta
Coliseum.
San
Miguel coach Chot Reyes blamed himself for their
successive defeats saying he failed to live up to the
task in terms of preparing his team.
“I think
I’m doing a terrible job as a coach,” he offered.
Self-proclaimed experts, though, observed that the
wear-and-tear of the tournament is beginning to take its
toll on the Beermen, who threatened to run away with the
title after taking a 2-0 lead.
After
completely dominating the Kings in Games One and Two,
the Beermen’s legs betrayed their age in the next two
games that saw them losing by 30 points in Game Three
and by 35 points in Game Four.
Reyes
admitted the age factor is showing and readily pointed
to Danny Seigle and Danny Ildefonso—their two valuable
stars who are playing hurt.
The
eloquent San Miguel coach also noted his troops’
inability to match up with the Kings’ energy the past
two games, particularly off the boards. The Kings
outrebounded the Beermen, 58-47, in Game Three and 47-38
in Game Four.
Ginebra’s supremacy off the boards netted the Kings an
average of 20 fastbreak points and 25 second-chance
points over the past two games.
“The
stronger Eric Menk gets, the stronger Ginebra becomes,”
said Reyes of the Kings’ star center, who has shown
signs of improvement each game.
After
managing just four points and three rebounds in Game Two
(his first game back from injury), Menk tallied 12
points and 11 boards in Game Three then came away with
15 points in just 12 minutes of action in Game Four.
While he
conceded that Ginebra’s scoring machine Mark Caguioa and
his backcourt tandem Jayjay Helterbrand will be getting
their 20 points every night, Reyes said the Beermen must
find a way to contain Menk.
“As it
is, Rudy [Hatfield] and Rafi [Reavis] are tough to
handle. Now, there’s Menk who’s getting better every
game. Unless we find a way to contain him, we’re in
trouble,” Reyes said.
To make
matters worse, Ildefonso’s status for the crucial Game
Five remains doubtful, while Seigle is limping with
welts and bruises on both calf muscles allegedly
inflicted by Ronald Tubid’s consistent knee banging
every time the Ginebra guard defended against him.
Reyes
said Ildefonso, who insisted to play in Game Four,
hasn’t been practicing with team since Game Four of the
semifinals while Seigle skipped practice on Sunday and
Monday to rest his hurting calf muscles.
The San
Miguel coach realized the odds are against his team
going into Game Five but that doesn’t mean he’s leaving
their fate to chance.
“Obviously, it’s a tough situation. So I’ll be working
on a new bag of tricks and hopefully it will work for
us,” Reyes said. |
