Scottie Thompson found himself going back to the drawing board instead of spending the entire night celebrating in just a span of hours.
The reigning PBA MVP received his second BPC award after being named the top player of the 2022-23 Commissioner’s Cup, but could not fully enjoy the feat as Ginebra collapsed versus Bay Area in the Finals’ Game Four.
“Pagka-award, sarap sa pakiramdam. Pero right now, medyo mixed emotions,” he lamented moments after the 89-82 loss at the Mall of Asia Arena.
“Panandaliang sarap lang ngayon. Move on na ulit,” added Thompson, who finished with 18 points, five rebounds, and six assists in the defeat.
It appeared that a double celebration was about to happen when the Kings led by 12 during the second period, only to cough it up in the last two quarters that ultimately allowed the Dragons to tie the series at two games apiece.
The 29-year-old admitted that his side fell into complacency after leading that big against a team that was without the injured Andrew Nicholson.
“Para sa kanila siguro talaga ‘tong game na ‘to,” he said. “Maganda ‘yung game plan nila. Credit sa kanila. We know they’re really a tough team.
“In-expect din namin talaga na mas aggressive sila, all locals. Na-outwork kami, medyo nag-relax din kami siguro konti,” he continued.
Aggressive, indeed, were the guest team’s locals, especially Kobey Lam. The 22-year-old guard erupted for 30 points, starring in the comeback that saw him catch fire by going on a personal 8-0 run for the 84-72 lead in the fourth.
Then there were the likes of Zhu Songwei (18 points, nine rebounds), Glen Yang (18 points), and Hayden Blankley who helped in closing the game out, each with moments during the final period in a display of great resolve.
“Expect naman namin ‘yun. Talagang na-outwork din kami,” reiterated Thompson, whose Kings tried to fight back in the closing minutes but fell short.
“Maganda rin talaga ‘yung pinakita nila lahat. Especially down the stretch, fourth quarter hindi na sila nagmimintis. We tried our best, pero ang dami naming lapses sa game, dami naming nakikitang mali,” he added.
Still, the six-time champion chooses to look at the silver lining, saying that it’s better to lose this early than in a game as crucial as a decider.
“I think, good thing nangyari sa’min ‘to, hindi pa Game Seven. We still have time na mag-adjust and to figure out kung ano ‘yung dapat gawin namin sa next game.”
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The second game of each PBA gameday is live-streamed on SMART Sports.
