With an unblemished record and armed with Tony Mitchell, the Star Hotshots entered the Manila Clasico with their confidence at an all-time high. Moreover, they had vengeance on their minds, as memories of their painful Game Seven defeat to Barangay Ginebra just two months ago still lingered.
For the game’s first 28 minutes, the Hotshots played with vigor, leading by as much as 12 points during the third frame. But like a sugar-rushed kid, their energy suddenly dropped — the adrenaline gained from riding the raucous crowd took its toll.
After scoring 75 points after the third frame, their offense, the third-best in the league, dropped just 22 points in the final frame, leading to a 113-98 loss — their first of the conference. They shot just 38 percent from the field for the game, five percent down from their norms, to finish the game with 98 points, five points shy of their average.
According to first-year head coach Chito Victolero, he was not able to prepare his players for the roller-coaster that is a Manila Clasico game.
“Sabi ko sa kanila it’s my fault because I did not prepare them mentally for this game. The locals knew that this is an emotional game but ‘pag nasa actual na, medyo nawawala,” Victolero said.
Tony Mitchell, a Manila Clasico neophyte, had a tough outing in particular. After averaging 22.0 points and 16.0 rebounds during their first four games, the 25-year-old was still able to match his norms but needed 21 attempts to do so, while being limited to just nine rebounds.
With this under his belt, he hopes that this will toughen up both Mitchell and the Star Hotshots.
“I think he learned a lot from this game. Yun lang naman hinihingi namin, matuto kami lahat para at least pagdating ng important games, makuha namin,” the Mindanao PBA All-Star coach remarked.
“We learned a lot from this game. This is an elimination game. One loss but it’s a long way to go. We need to refocus again, stay together. Marami pang parating. “
And the Holy Week break could not have come at a better time for the weary Hotshots, as it will help them recover from this emotional loss.
“Malaking bagay yan. Mahirap kasi Clasico, natalo ka,” the 41-year-old mentored shared.
“We need time to refresh ulit, makita yung ano pa puwedeng gawin. Magpapahinga muna kami ng isang araw, balik Tuesday, start preparing for San Miguel.
“Let’s move forward, tapos na yan, kailangan lang mag-focus sa San Miguel,” he stated.
