Arvin Tolentino is embracing the challenge ahead as the steam-rolling NorthPort enters into a tough stretch in its PBA Season 48 Philippine Cup campaign.
Half of the Batang Pier’s last six games of the elimination round will be against the San Miguel teams, with a meeting against a surging Rain or Shine in between in a set of outings that could pose a threat to their fiery winning run.
The crew has stretched their streak to four following a 112-96 mauling of TNT on Friday night, making them one of the conference’s hottest teams.
“It’s gonna be exciting,” he said moments after the game at the SMART Araneta Coliseum. “Excited ako for the team, excited ako for my teammates.”
Tolentino and NorthPort will first face Magnolia on April 10, and then battle Ginebra four days later before taking on the Elasto Painters on the 17th in matches to be held at the historic Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
The Batang Pier will then cap it off on the 21st against San Miguel, presently the top seed with a clean 4-0 card, at the Philsports Arena.
None can put anybody at fault if they see that daunting of a schedule but the star forward is looking at it as something beneficial towards their goal as a collective of becoming the team that they’ve been wanting to be.
That is to develop into a unit that could get over the hump and make it past the quarterfinals after falling short multiple times in the past.
The last time that the franchise made it to the semifinals was in the 2019 Governors’ Cup, a team that was then led by Christian Standhardinger and Sean Anthony, with Pido Jarencio manning the sidelines.
“We’ve been making the playoffs, pero hanggang quarterfinals lang eh,” said Tolentino. “As a team, we want to prove to the league na kahit mga bata kami, or inexperienced, we have that fight — na lalaban kami.”
Thus the excitement on his part heading into their next four games, a feeling that’s also flared up by their lopsided win over the Tropang Giga that saw NorthPort equal the franchise’s all-time longest win streak.
“This game was really, really big for us and it will also prepare us for these coming games,” said Tolentino, who had 29 points, eight rebounds, and six assists against the MVP Group-owned ball club.
“This game has given us confidence, na kaya pala. Meron kaming baong kumpiyansa because of this game,” he added.
