Paul Lee was having himself a good game against the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, as he usually does whenever he faces them. But as the game wrapped up, the 28-year-old could barely smile, as the Star Hotshots lost to Ginebra anew.
“Di naman mahina yung nakalaban naming team. Sabi ni coach [Chito Victolero] kanina, it was a good game, pero ‘di lang napunta sa side namin yung panalo,” said Lee, who scored 22 points in their 101-105 overtime loss at the SMART Araneta Coliseum. “Maganda rin ang araw ko kaya naka-shoot ako.
“Still, talo pa rin. Wala pa ring kwenta yung ginawa ko.”
The stinging setback now marks the Hotshots’ seventh loss in the 10 games they have played against the Gin Kings this season. And most of their meetings were decided by which team has more wits and will down the stretch.
And for Lee, he believes that his team still has plenty of room for improvement in terms of composure.
“Okay pa din naman eh, kaso lang new team, kaka-start pa lang din namin with coach Chito [Victolero]. Siguro kahit paano, may konti na lalabas pa rin. Wino-work on pa rin namin yun,” said the six-year veteran combo guard.
“Hopefully, ‘pag dumating kami sa situwasyon na kailangan namin, makuha na namin.”
Star’s firmness in the times they needed it the most was tested in overtime, when import Malcolm Hill — who finished with 28 points and 12 rebounds — fouled out of the match with 54.9 seconds left to play after a contact with Joe Devance.
That was the beginning of the end for the Hotshots.
“Hopefully, he learns from that and we learn from that,” said Lee of Hill, who almost saved Star with three straight free throws that sent the match into an extra period. “Maganda dito, ‘di kami nag-rerely sa import namin.
“Lahat naman, nagse-step up this conference kaya okay [pa rin].
The loss could not be more heartbreaking for Star. But the best thing they can do now, said Lee, is to move on from it.
“Move on kami. Tapos na yung game na ito, so bounce back na lang kami sa next game namin,” he declared.
