ANTIPOLO — It’s getting harder and harder for Magnolia to find any source of hope after getting beaten badly by TNT again, pushing the traditional contender on the brink of getting swept in the PBA Governors’ Cup quarterfinals.
Not even that 15-0 run abridging the middle quarters of their Game 2 encounter to cut a double-digit gap to just 49-51 could serve as a silver lining entering Saturday’s do-or-die, as the Hotshots seem to be running out of optimism.
“‘Yun nga eh. After nung run na ‘yun, nabawian kami agad ng kabila,” lamented Ian Sangalang moments after their 92-70 loss at the Ynares Center here.
“Very frustrating kasi nandoon na kami sa game eh. ‘Yun lang naman ‘yung gusto namin, ‘yung makadikit kami para meron kaming chance na manalo. Kaso, naiwanan na naman kami eh,” added the veteran big man.
It marked the second straight time that Magnolia got routed by the defending champions, with the latter taking Game 1 convincingly as well, 91-73.
(C) PBA Images
And similar to Game 2, the third quarter also spelled the difference, with Rondae Hollis-Jefferson anchoring the 21-4 assault that turned a two-point spread into a commanding 72-53 lead, setting the tone for the one-sided affair.
“Medyo mataas talaga yung activity level ni Rondae, ano, nakikita naman natin kung paano siya maglaro. Sobrang aggressive,” said Sangalang of ‘RHJ,’ who finished with 39 points, 15 rebounds, two assists, two steals, and three blocks.
The Tropang 5G put together that decisive run right after the aforementioned rally by Magnolia, indeed a solid response which Coach LA Tenorio and his charges could only hope to have emulated to at least give themselves a chance.
But they couldn’t come up with an apt response, ultimately losing by 22, which brought the Hotshots to a precarious situation as a loss in Game 3 this Saturday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium would mean the end of their season.
The fact that they entered the playoffs as Group B’s best but are now one misstep away from an early exit makes it all the more frustrating for Sangalang.
“No. 1 kami eh. Tapos kung maa-out, mahirap, masakit. Ine-expect talaga namin na makakapasok kami this conference,” said the 34-year-old center.
“‘Yun talaga ‘yung goal namin. Wala namang gustong manalo hanggang quarterfinals lang eh. Very frustrating talaga.”
At least there’s one more game left that could offer an opportunity for Sangalang & Co. to bounce back, and so the next 48 hours would be extremely crucial in regrouping and finding the best possible solutions to the TNT puzzle.
As well as in addressing their shooting woes specifically from three-point distance, having shot a combined 8-of-51 in the series thus far.
“‘Di ko alam kung anong kailangan naming gawin talaga next game, kung kailangan naming maging physical or what,” he said. “Tingnan na lang namin.
“Pero hindi pa naman tapos, titingnan talaga namin kung anong mga puwede naming gawin. Medyo mahirap lang talaga pag kalaban TNT kasi defending champion, lahat ng experience na nadaanan nila. Kumpleto sila ngayon. Kailangan talaga naming tapatan o lampasan pa yung ginagawa nila.”
