It took all of Beerman June Mar Fajardo’s (left) 40 factors and 24 rebounds to deflate Justin Arana and the FiberXers. —AUGUST DELA CRUZ
Basketball coaches often take a day or two processing a botched marketing campaign.
However that wasn’t fairly the case for Converge’s Franco Atienza, whose squad practically toppled mighty San Miguel Beer within the deciding Sport 5 of the PBA Governors’ Cup quarterfinals.
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From ending dead-last within the earlier season, the FiberXers captured their first-ever playoff victory on the expense of the dynastic Beermen, and even pushed the powerhouse membership to the sting of a monumental collapse.
So that you guess he already had plenty of constructive takeaways inside attain.
“Frankly talking, we weren’t anticipating to be within the playoffs, not to mention carry San Miguel to the brink. So we take satisfaction in that,” he informed reporters shortly after a gallant 109-105 dropping stand at Ynares Heart in Antipolo Metropolis.
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June Mar dominates
“We confirmed how resilient we had been, how good we could be, so we really feel that the ceiling remains to be excessive for us,” the rookie head coach stated.
In actual fact, the FiberXers misplaced the deciding Sport 5 solely within the face of a dominating efficiency by San Miguel’s June Mar Fajardo, who wanted a 40-20 double-double to drag the Beermen by.
Converge, with a bunch of younger gamers, hardly regarded prefer it was going to considerably enhance from their 3-19 win-loss season. They introduced in an growing old Alex Cabagnot, which regarded like a advertising transfer moderately than a tactical one. And so they remained with out their high decide Justine Baltazar as he continued to meet his membership duties in one other league.
And but the FiberXers collected six wins within the elimination section of the Governors’ Cup—a few of these victories on the expense of perennial contenders Meralco, Magnolia and one in opposition to defending champion TNT.
The telco membership which was additionally navigating its first convention underneath a rejigged mind belief led by Franco, Charles Tiu, and marketing consultant Rajko Toroman then staved off elimination twice earlier than Sunday’s stand that might’ve been one of many largest upsets in current league historical past.
Work to do
“We simply must hold constructing from this. We’ll take a break however will once more have a look at the teachings from this marketing campaign. That is just about the primary do-or-die for many of our gamers. Solely Alex and Kevin (Racal) have that have within the playoffs. Aside from that, we now have sophomores,” Atienza stated.
Cabagnot, who has been mentoring the membership’s younger guards Alec Stockton and Schonny Winston, additionally got here by in Sport 5 that night time, placing up 14 factors on a 4-of-6 taking pictures clip from deep that threatened San Miguel for many of the night time.
“The character, the poise are all constructed by these video games. We will get by sure conditions, however the nerves whereas enjoying in a do-or-die [against an] elite crew? That’s exhausting to [gain].”
As optimistic as he’s with trying on the marketing campaign, the younger coach additionally is aware of that there’s loads of work to do for the FiberXers.
“[We have to] make ourselves stronger, sharper, smarter and have poise within the endgame,” he stated.
“That is the primary convention of our season and we can be excited to get again for the following. There are nonetheless two extra forward of us and we haven’t even gotten our rookies,” he added, referring to Baltazar, Letran’s Pao Javillonar, La Salle’s Ben Phillips and Arellano’s Ronan Santos. (Subscribe to learn associated Inquirer Plus characteristic on Justin Arana)
“I imagine we can be a special crew within the subsequent convention (after this), however once more, it’s as much as us to proceed working exhausting, proceed doing the issues we did properly on this sequence and this convention we simply had,” Atienza stated. INQ