Phoenix Super LPG head coach Jamike Jarin won’t define Johnathan Williams by the free throws he missed late in their eventual defeat to Meralco in the PBA Season 48 Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals, Wednesday night.
The do-it-all import had the chance to break the 103-all tie with 8.2 seconds left in the second overtime.
However, he failed to convert his two bonuses from the foul line, which soon allowed the Bolts to send the game into another extra period.
“He’s our silent leader. So, the free throws that he missed, that doesn’t count,” the seasoned mentor told reporters moments after their 116-107 triple overtime defeat, Wednesday evening at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.
Jarin offered that those misses were a ‘result’ of the game that was, needless to say, exhausting for both sides, especially for their reinforcement.
Williams played for a total of 62 minutes and 22 seconds, joining Lambert Shell, Lew Massey, and Michael Qualls in the list of imports that have played in more than 60 minutes in a PBA game, per league stats chief Fidel Mangonon III.
(C) PBA Images
“Things happen like this. But we have full confidence in him that he’s gonna bring us to the semifinals,” said the first-year Phoenix chief mentor.
Jarin refuses as well to pin the blame on anybody else for the loss that disarmed Phoenix of its twice-to-beat advantage.
“We can’t get mad at anybody right now. All our players, all the staff, coaches, we gave it our 110 percent,” he said. “Nobody’s to blame here.
“That’s why you work hard in the elimination to get the twice-to-beat advantage so you have that luxury. If you don’t get it on the first try, you have another chance to get it. Another opportunity for us to get to the semis on Sunday.”
Jarin remains optimistic at the same time, since they still have a shot to go to the semis in their rubber match on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
“It was really heartbreaking but we can’t cry over spilled milk,” he said. “We just have to rest our bodies, watch the film and concentrate on the things that worked for us and work on the things that we need to improve on.”
