By JONAS TERRADO
Game Today
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
6:30 p.m. – Ginebra vs San Miguel
(San Miguel leads series 1-0)
Defending champion San Miguel braces for a much-better showing from Barangay Ginebra San Miguel tonight when it seeks a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven semifinal series in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Beermen, who took Friday’s series opener with a convincing 102-90 win, hope to solve any major adjustments Ginebra might make in the 6:30 p.m. contest and move halfway from securing a fourth consecutive finals appearance in the PBA’s most-prestigious tourney.
San Miguel capitalized on Ginebra’s concerns of fatigue to draw first blood in the series with Arwind Santos making 9-of-14 shots for a game-high 23 points and Von Pessumal leading a bench mob that continues to gain confidence by knocking down 18 points.
The Beermen’s only worry now is whether they can find ways to stop whatever new things Cone and his team will showcase in front of an expected big crowd at the Big Dome.
“Alam namin si Tim Cone na marami siyang gagawing adjustment at hindi rin sila agad-agad bibitaw,” Santos said. “Kami yung confidence namin, kung anu yung laro namin, kailangan din namin baguhin. Kung kailangan magdagdag pa, hindi kasi kait nanalo kami wala na kaming kailangan iimprove pa. Marami pa rin.
“Pero hindi namin gusto maging perfect kasi nobody’s perfect nga,” added the 2013 Most Valuable Player. “Kung yung nilaro namin 70 percent, kahit mga five percent lang next game malamang makukuha pa rin namin ang panalo.”
Among the additional improvements the Beermen look to have is a better production from June Mar Fajardo, who was hardly a factor in Game 1 with a conference-low nine points and seven rebounds.
Ginebra, on the other hand, was quick to cite its weary run to the semis where it needed to beat Rain or Shine three times in a week as a determining factor in the loss. But Cone believes his team will eventually pick up steam in the series.
“We didn’t have much time to recover, work on San Miguel cause our focus was totally on Rain or Shine,” Cone said. “We’ll try to improve and get better as the series goes along.”
Whether an improved Ginebra performance will come with Greg Slaughter back remains a mystery as the 7-foot center remains questionable due to an ankle injury. Slaughter sat out Game 1.
Ginebra playmaker LA Tenorio sees the loss as only a bump in the road, confident that the Kings can regain their determined spirit.
