De La Salle University may have lost the first battle in the UAAP Season 87 Finals against the University of the Philippines, but Mike Phillips knows better than to let his motor slow down now.
“Times like these you’ll never get back, and the wins you’ll never get back, and the losses you’ll never get back. Both good and bad come from the Lord, but I’m gonna get glory in both,” Phillips said reflectively after the game.
“It’s really hard though, it’s really really easier said than done, but that’s what championship, that’s what finals is all about. It’s about embracing hardship.”
In Game 1 of the UAAP Season 87 Finals, the Green Archers were overwhelmed by an intense UP squad that took control in the second half and held on until the very end.
“We can’t discredit UP. You saw it in their eyes, I saw it before the game, I saw it after the game, they had that fire in their eyes. That’s something that you really have to give credit to them, and that’s something that we need to have in us,” shared the 6-foot-9 center.
Phillips’ matchup with Quentin Millora-Brown seemed to shine the brightest, as the Fighting Maroons’ forward led the charge with 17 points and nine rebounds in 34:27 minutes of action.
Despite the loss, Phillips had nothing but praise for Millora-Brown, empathizing with his relentless effort in the paint and dedication to the intangibles of basketball.
“I hope a lot of people are inspired by him. I hope a lot of people see that he doesn’t care about scoring. That’s something that I think we share. We don’t think about scoring, we don’t care about making a highlight, but you do all the things that no one else wants to do.”
The fourth-year Lasallian was eager for the challenge against Millora-Brown, but Phillips knows it wouldn’t be a one-man job.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
“It’s do or die, you know? Of course, for a player like QMB, it’s not gonna be a one-man job. No one on UP you can do with a one-man job. We’re gonna need 16 strong, even our guys on the bench who may not have seen the floor last game—they all helped,” Phillips stated.
The 21-year-old is no stranger to do-or-die situations. Just last year, Phillips and the Green Archers dropped the first game of the Season 86 finals before coming back to win Games 2 and 3, stealing the championship away from UP.
However, with many key veterans from the Season 86 team gone, Phillips believes replicating last year’s performance won’t be enough to take down this UP squad.
“It’s not about trying to replicate last year, but it’s about what we can do with what we have this year. They may be young, but those guys, I love ‘em. I love how they compete and I love who they are, so I think just trying to lead with our actions will be the best for us,” he explained.
With no room for error after dropping Game 1, Phillips believes the best of this year’s La Salle squad is still to come.
“When our backs are against the wall, of course, there’s just two options. Lasallian spirit, we have a saying ‘never shall we fail.’ It’s not really that we’re never gonna lose or never gonna get knocked down, but it’s how you are formed by those failures.”
And with another UAAP championship on the line in Game 2 on Wednesday, best believe Phillips’ motor will be running on high at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
