NorthPort head coach Bonnie Tan lamented his wards’ lack of energy in a game they dedicated for the injured JM Calma, Wednesday night.
The Batang Pier aimed to beat Rain or Shine to give the sophomore something to cheer about after being diagnosed with a left anterior cruciate ligament tear, but failed to do so as the squad absorbed a 115-105 loss instead.
“Sabi ko nga sa team, we’re dedicating the game kay JM sabay ganito ‘yung nilaro natin,” said the veteran mentor moments after the match at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
“Hindi naman namatay si ano, na-injure lang.”
NorthPort missing Calma’s inside presence was magnified right from the get-go when the Elasto Painters raced to a 12-0 start, setting the tone for the wire-to-win for one of the hottest teams of the PBA Season 48 Philippine Cup.
Coach Yeng Guiao’s wards have now won fifth in a row while the Batang Pier’s struggles continued, succumbing to their third successive defeat.
Tan did laud those who stepped up to the plate such as Zavier Lucero and Allyn Bulanadi with 29 and 26 points, respectively, as well as Kris Rosales (12 points) but their efforts weren’t enough to complete the comeback from 22 down.
“Umabot pa as high as 22 points ‘yung lamang na hinahabol namin, Bumaba hanggang five, six, pero hindi ma-sustain. Sinabayan ng malas.” he said.
“From Paul Zamar to Arvin Tolentino to Joshua Munzon, we’re expecting to contribute on both ends kaya lang kanina ‘di makita,” he added as Arvin Tolentino got held to just 11 points while Paul Zamar went scoreless.
“Although may nag-step up na other players — Kris Rosales stepped up, Lucero stepped up sa scoring, si Bulanadi nag-step up. Pero it’s not enough na nakipagpalitan lang ng scoring kanina lalo na sa second half,” Tan continued.
Now it’s about recalibrating NorthPort to arrest its skid immediately without Calma around, especially now that the team is in the midst of an exhausting yet crucial stretch that could dictate where its quarterfinal bid could go.
Currently sporting a 4-4 card, the Batang Pier will successively play their remaining games — first against present no. 1 seed San Miguel Beer on April 21, Terrafirma on the 25th, and then Blackwater on the 27th.
“‘Di ko alam what happened sa team. We lacked ‘yung energy na dinadala namin sa start ng conference. ‘Di ko alam kung relaxed sila or pagod, we have seven games in three weeks, baka lumalabas na ‘yung fatigue factor,” Tan said.
“Pero… we need to get two more wins to assure ‘yung quarterfinals. For sure we’ll not back down sa mga remaining games namin,” he added.
