Phoenix Super LPG head coach Jamike Jarin wants his charges to move on and look forward to the PBA Season 48 Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals after missing out on the chance to finish higher at the end of the eliminations.
The Fuel Masters on Sunday night bowed to a TNT side that’s nearing completion roster-wise.
The loss spoiled their hopes of finishing as the no. 2 seed entering the playoffs’ first round that commences this coming Wednesday.
“As soon as we forget about this game, the better for us,” he told reporters moments after their 116-96 loss at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.
Phoenix was the heavy favorite coming into the affair given their stature in the ongoing conference.
They were up against a Tropang Giga side in the midst of a roller-coaster ride owing to the multiple injuries of key cogs.
But the flagship MVP franchise may just be welcoming some of them back soon, with Roger Pogoy returning from myocarditis that kept him out for months.
The two-way specialist admitted that he still has some catching up to do but he was one of those who made it hard for Phoenix. He finished with 11 points on three triples, three rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
Furthermore, he was part of the TNT unit that turned the game around in the third quarter, where they erupted for 37 points.
The Tropang Giga entered the final period ahead by a decade, 88-78, after being down 53-51 at halftime.
Jarin lamented a litany of things in that harrowing third but is hoping, too, that it serves as a lesson to his men if they were to reach the semifinals.
“We played well in the first two quarters then all of a sudden, in the third quarter we just lost steam. I take full responsibility for that,” he said.
“We were missing shots, they made their shots. We’ve had some turnovers that killed us defensively, and offensive rebounds was the story of the game. So we need to work on those things if we want to get into the semifinals.”
The veteran bench tactician hopes as well that such a loss would help spur the growth of his youth-laden crew, especially now as they prepare for Meralco in the quarters in a battle between the fourth and fifth seeds after the eliminations.
Phoenix finished as the no. 4 seed as it has an inferior quotient against fellow 8-3 teams San Miguel and Ginebra, the second and third seeds, respectively.
“We’re the youngest team in the PBA. These are baby steps that we need to really get accustomed [to],” Jarin said.
“This will help us in the coming games and hopefully, we get the victory on Wednesday,” he continued. “Because Meralco is a very experienced team. So, we have to play 48 minutes of selfless basketball.”
