Following an 11-day break, NLEX head coach Yeng Guiao had hoped that his Road Warriors could compete against the Magnolia Hotshots in their last game of the 2019 PBA Philippine Cup eliminations, Wednesday.
But Guiao ended up disappointed.
The Road Warriors were still in the game early, until the Hotshots got loose prior to the halftime break by turning a seven-point lead to a wide 46-30 lead. The match then became a one-sided show in favor of Magnolia.
“I’m disappointed, actually,” rued Guiao after the match. “I thought we would be playing a good game, competing today. We’ve had good practices. Tingin ko nakahanda kami, pero for one reason or another, we just played badly.
“We need to give credit to Magnolia, who played a really good game offensively and defensively. There were just on rhythm. It was a good game for them and it was a bad night for us,” he added, as NLEX shot only 31 percent.
Had NLEX won, they could have given themselves a good spot in the quarterfinals; the Road Warriors could’ve gone as high as the sixth spot and figured in a best-of-three series. But things went otherwise.
Now, NLEX face a playoff for the eighth and last quarterfinal ticket versus the Alaska Aces on Friday, April 5. The winner will face top seed Phoenix Pulse Fuel Masters, who are armed with a twice-to-beat advantage.
Though it will be a high mountain to climb, Guiao isn’t fazed.
“We still have a chance,” said the seven-time PBA champion coach. “As long as we have a chance to make the next round, that’s okay with me.
“We’ll keep our hopes high and we’ll keep trying our best to make the next round.”
