Although Alaska have won back-to-back games to cut Rain or Shine’s 2016 PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals series lead down to 3-2, Aces forward Calvin Abueva knows his team cannot be overconfident as they lead to Game 6.
“Dalawa na lang. One game at a time. Kailangan talaga naming huwag lumabas yung kumpiyansa na kaya natin,” Abueva said.
The newly-crowned Best Player of the Conference finished with a game-high 20 points, and added 13 rebounds, two assists, and two blocks in Alaska’s 86-78 Game 5 win Sunday night.
Abueva said the squad needs to continue giving it their all, especially on the defensive end.
“Pinaghihirapan natin lahat, yung depensa, yung galaw sa loob, hindi natin pwede ibigay ganoong kadali ang finals kaya todo trabaho,” he said.
Abueva added that how the Aces had approached Games 4 and 5, which they both won, has been a difference-maker, and he hopes the team does the same thing again.
“Hundred percent, talagang nakafocus na tayo. Doble effort na ‘to eh, hindi na kagaya ng Game 1 to Game 3 na parang wala lang. Ngayon, solid ka talaga dapat, talagang may mental (toughness) ka, hindi mo pwede pakawalan maski isang possession man lang,” Abueva shared.
Asked if momentum is already on Alaska’s side, Abueva instead said he is more eager to just continue to fight and refusing to give up.
“Di natin masasabi kung nasa amin na ang momentum o nasa kanila na, basta kami ginagawa lang namin ang trabaho namin para sa finals na ‘to,” he said.
“Sa kanila, pakiramdam nila madali lang syempre, pero kami hindi rin kami basta-basta magpapatalo as a player, as a team lalaban ka talaga. Ang ganda ng mga nagagawa namin.”
