Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Tiebreaker Times

Basketball

Tenorio believes Ginebra can rise up from 1-3 deficit


Never say die

Losing games in a best-of-seven playoff series is normal, but being down 1-3 in such a long bout is a whole lot different scenario. Just a single miscue, and one will see all their hopes fly out the window and eventually crash hard, shattered into pieces — all in a snap.

Still, Ginebra guard LA Tenorio is a firm believer of the Barangay’s Never Say Die spirit, saying that his team can also pull off what the San Miguel Beermen did in last year’s Philippine Cup Finals — staging a monumental comeback after being down three games in a series.

“Well, nagawa nila, so kaya rin naman namin yun,” shared the undaunted five-foot-eight floor general moments after their 94-85 defeat in Game Four of their title match Friday night at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.

Only two teams in PBA Finals history have rallied back from a 1-3 deficit with the Beermen being the latest, rising from a 0-3 deficit to the Alaska Aces to clinch the 2015-16 Philippine Cup title. And for Tenorio, they can replicate that feat firstly by winning Game 5 this coming Sunday.

“Again, we just have to get the game on Sunday. Yun lang iisipin namin. We’re not looking forward, we’re not looking at tying the series right away. ‘Di naman namin mata-tie yung series kung ‘di namin maipapanalo on Sunday eh,” the 32-year-old aimed.

And one thing that will help the Barangay overcome the deficit is by setting in their minds that they are not down 1-3.

“‘Di naman kami na-out eh. ‘Di pa tapos. We still have a chance. We just have to do it the right way. One game at a time.

“Yung Sunday’s game muna iisipin namin. ‘Di namin iisipin yung 3-1. We just have to play one game. Yun lang,” Tenorio added.

#ReadMore  Meralco thrashes Star for 2-0 lead

Looking at how Game Four rolled, San Miguel were able to thrash the Barangay by 26 points, 66-48, in the third canto. SMB scoring in bunches and thrashing their opposition has always been their mark especially in the Finals, and Tenorio hopes that they can find ways to neutralize those attacks.

“Well may potential silang gawin yun eh. Ginawa nila yun sa’min nung Game One. Ginawa rin sa’min nung Game Two nung third quarter. Capable sila to do that, so we just have to be more ready sa mga ganoong run nila na hindi dapat kami nagpa-panic,” pointed out the two-time PBA champion.

And as the must-win Game Five looms in just 36 hours, all that Ginebra has to do is to play top-notch defense to prevent being on an early vacation, which San Miguel hopes to, according to Tenorio, who has been contributing steadily with norms of 12 points.

“Kailangan lang namin maging aggressive talaga for 48 minutes defensively. Tsaka marami rin kaming lapses eh, so we’ll see in the video kung ano yung mga kailangan naming i-iadjust.

“We don’t have any choice now. We just have to do yung mga kailangan lang namin gawin,” said Tenorio.

Written By

Oftentimes on the sidelines. Forever a student of the game. Morayta-bred.


You May Also Like

Basketball

It wasn’t the ideal end to his first PBA conference, yet RJ Abarrientos chose to look at all the lessons instead after Barangay Ginebra...

Basketball

Justin Brownlee is hoping for another crack at Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and TNT after falling short in the PBA Season 49 Governors Cup Finals. The...

Basketball

TNT completed its back-to-back bid in the PBA Governors’ Cup following a dramatic 95-85 come-from-behind win over Barangay Ginebra in Game 6 of the...

Basketball

The World Balance ST3 may be upon us. Scottie Thompson’s third signature shoe with the Filipino sports brand could hit the shelves soon after...

Basketball

Ginebra head coach Tim Cone felt that his team felt ‘a little satisfied’ by tying the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals against TNT to two...

Basketball

TNT moved one win away from defending its PBA Governors’ Cup kingship following a 99-72 decimation of Barangay Ginebra to build a 3-2 lead...

Basketball

June Mar Fajardo copped the PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup Best Player of the Conference award at the expense of his good pal Japeth...

Basketball

It’s simply about finding ways for Justin Brownlee. The three-time Best Import was back to the usual, powering Barangay Ginebra past TNT to equalize...

Advertisement