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Both Barangay Geneva and TNT believe that this is where great teams and players emerge.
TNT believes it a little more.
“If you want to be cool, you would have to face adversity,” Bong Ravena, Tropang Giga’s designated coach, told reporters here at Smart Clark Giga City in the Philippines. “You are forced to face them all: frustrations, failures. So you really need to have a lot of fighting in you. “
Trailing 2-0 in the race four for the PBA Philippine Cup, Ravena and Tropang Giga may look like they need to play perfectly in Game 3 Friday night at the Angeles University Foundation.
However, what they really need is to hold their nerves a little more.
The Gin Kings have built a two-game cushion against none in large part due to TNT’s inability to perform when it matters most: at crucial times. And Tropang Giga’s numbers down the stretch are alarming.
In Game 1, where Barangay Geneva posted a 100-94 overtime win, TNT missed five of six attempts from the field in overtime. Ray Parks Jr. missed two shots, including a triple, Simon Enciso missed two triples and RR Pogoy, who had TNT’s only basket in the final five minutes, hit a triple.
Game 2 was even more revealing. And it’s not just the way TNT could only helplessly watch Aljon Mariano cut Geneva’s 15-point deficit in the third period to tie the game at the end of that same quarter. Leading seven with 4:16 to play after Pogoy’s 3-pointer, TNT closed the game with seven missed field goals, two turnovers and a split free throw before Troy Rosario hit a harmless basket and Enciso drained. an even more insignificant triple.
Here’s how those mistakes were sequenced: Rosario and Pogoy each missed before Castro missed a triple. TNT was burned for a 24-second violation before Pogoy had another moss and Castro returned the ball. Enciso missed a triple, Castro had a split before missing another three and Pogoy blocked another triple. By the time Rosario finally made a basket, Ginebra was up, 90-87, with four seconds to go.
The Kings, meanwhile, seem to know when to improve. Scottie Thompson, scoreless for most of Game 2, nailed his only basket when it mattered most: a 3-pointer that gave Barangay Gin the lead forever, 87-85, with 30 seconds to play.
But coach Tim Cone relies on TNT to finally figure things out for Game 3, which starts at 6 p.m.
“I sound like a broken record, but again, we are grateful for the victory,” Cone told the Inquirer in a text message Thursday. “But we are not happy”
“We were outmatched in training and pushing for the most part,” he added. “We know … that we have to find the best of ourselves to continue [winning] games in this series. Otherwise, the tide could turn very quickly. “
Ravena could have taken some comfort in the fact that the Tropang Giga started strong and had the Gin Kings reeling even though top scorer and key defender Parks was missing. But he refused to do so.
“Sure, it could have been different if [Ray] It was there. But we were still in the game. In fact, we were able to take clues. The bottom line here is that we have to play smarter than they do, ”he added.
Parks remains doubtful for Game 3, although TNT had initially hinted that he would return on Friday.
Pogoy had 38 points on just 22 attempts from the field in Game 2, but his missed 3-pointer late in the game was a possible tying forging basket.
The national team striker and his teammates Gilas Pilipinas must act together if they want to avoid falling into another game in the series. Only San Miguel Beer has come back from a 0-3 deficit to win a best-of-seven matchup.
As it stands, the Kings already have a mental advantage with their current mattress.
According to the league’s chief statistician, Fidel Mangonon III, a 2-0 lead in a best-of-seven PBA final has always resulted in Geneva winning a title.
TNT, however, was able to win the crown twice in the four times they met on a 0-2 streak in a seven-game championship matchup.
To do this again, the Tropang Giga must be more stable on the stretch.
“We enjoy the leads but that [showed our] tendency to relax a bit, ”Ravena said. “I just wait [Game 2] becomes a lesson [for us]. “
Maybe just those last four minutes of Game 2.
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