The TNT Katropa had every reason for them to sulk about Monday evening.
They played against a league-giants San Miguel Beermen without top gun Jayson Castro.
They lost by 13 points.
Ultimately, they are now out of the 2017 PBA Philippine Cup title race.
Moments after Game 7, frustration, as expected, wafted throughout the Katropa’s locker room at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. Players left one by one with disappointment clearly drawn on their faces. But there was head coach Nash Racela, who stood with pride.
Going into the first conference, only a handful expected TNT to be in the Final Four. Racela was only able to handle the team once the Far Eastern University Tamaraws had been booted out of the Final Four last November 30, while the Katropa had to adjust on the fly to his system.
Ever the calming presence, Racela reflected on the positives the Katropa were able to gain in this particular best-of-seven semifinal series against league powerhouse and three-peat-seeking San Miguel.
“I think the team exceeded expectations.
“Nobody expected us to be in this position. I think even kayo eh, you were expecting a sweep by San Miguel eh twice in the series we were up,” said Racela moments after Game 7.
Racela was talking about the instances in which the Katropa had had the upper hand in the seven-game series. First, they won Game 3, 98-92, for a 2-1 lead, and won Game 5, 101-94 for a 3-2 lead. They had all those chances, despite the fact that facing San Miguel is a tall order.
The Katropa were even the favorites to finish it off at Game 6. But sophomore Troy Rosario was out because of his wedding, and top guard Jayson Castro was hurt in the latter part of the match last Saturday. As a result, the series headed to a Game 7.
“It could have been a different story, of course, if Jayson played.
“We just tried to play our cards correctly but it did not work. Obviously we missed Jayson but of course we don’t want to take anything from the San Miguel win. They did their part also,” shared Racela.
But nevertheless, the Katropa had one notable run-in. From finishing the eliminations with a decent 6-5 slate, sweeping Globalport in the quarterfinals, and gave San Miguel a run for their money, it was indeed a good stretch.
And Racela, in his very first head coaching stint in the pros, firmly believes that this will be the start of a better Katropa come the next conferences.
“I think we realized we could compete again,” said Racela. “Kasi very inconsistent din ang Talk ‘N Text the last couple of years. We would perform in one conference, then we’ll miss the other two conferences, so hopefully hindi lang din isa.
“We’ll try to sustain this next conference. Right now, we’re hoping to rest, recover, and prepare for the next conference.”
