For Kiefer Ravena, he and the NLEX Road Warriors are now in survival mode this early in the 2018 Commissioner’s Cup.
The Road Warriors have been winless in their first three games — including on Friday night, as they bowed to the Meralco Bolts, 90-106, no thanks to the Orangemen’s huge night led by Chris Newsome’s 30 points.
This is NLEX’s worst start since the 2018 Philippine Cup, where they started 2-0 and went on to end the conference with a semifinals appearance — the first in team history.
“We’re in survival mode,” rued Ravena, who had 21 points and 10 assists in the loss.
“It is what it is. We have to control what we can control and that is our standing right now which is 0-3.”
Given their slump, the Road Warriors must be realistic about what they want to achieve in the tilt — they have set aside their playoff hopes for now, said Ravena.
“We can’t be thinking of making it to the playoffs muna,” he said.
“Because it’s tough to look that far and at the same time, we can’t even take care of business by winning one game, ‘di ba?
“So we have to be realistic at this point. We have to learn how to win once again,” added the 24-year-old.
Ravena has insisted before — when they went 0-2 — that he and NLEX have to wake up from vacation mode. But with the way things have been going, they’re far from being awakened, he stressed.
“Mahirap nang sabihin na kailangan naming gumising eh. Parang mulat na mulat na na yung mata ng other teams, kami nag-uunat pa,” said the former Ateneo Blue Eagles star.
“Medyo kailangan na naming ano, kumbaga, maalimpungatan, for lack of a better term.”
