MANILA – San Miguel Beermen are unfazed with their 1-2 deficit in the 2019 Honda PBA Philippine Cup best-of-seven finals as they aim to equalize in Game 4 against Magnolia Hotshots tonight at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Beermen veteran Arwind Santos said they remain confident that they can bounce back from their 82-86 defeat to the Hotshots in Game 3 just like what they did in their previous finals series.
“Wala ‘yan, hindi kami kinakabahan sa ganyan,” Santos said. “Ita-tie lang namin ‘yan, sisiguraduhin namin na mananalo kami ng Game 4. Tapos best-of-three na ang usapan.”
He added: “Maganda ‘yung depensa nila nung Game 3. May adjustment sila sa offense nila na ginawa na hindi namin napaghandaan. Ganoon naman ang basketball, kailangan mo gumawa ng bagong weapon para magamit mo sa susunod na game.”
Santos also said: “Ako personally, ‘yung depensa namin, hindi talaga masyadong maganda. Kung titignan mo, dikit pa rin ‘yung laro. Bawat game naman, kahit sabihin mong nananalo kami, mayroon pa rin kaming kailangan i-correct.”
Beermen center June Mar Fajardo, for his part, said they should avoid playing with the pace of the Hotshots, as what happened in their losses in Games 1 and 3 of the finale.
“Maganda ‘yung adjustments nila, pero long series ito at kailangan naming mag-adjust,” he said. “Talo kami ngayon dahil ang dami naming lapses. Kailangan ‘yung long shots namin, hindi namin madaliin kasi sabi nga ni coach, hindi ‘yun ang game namin eh.”
“Set-up ‘yung game namin, hindi takbuhan, so kailangan naming sundin ang game plan namin,” added Fajardo, who is set to be awarded as the Best Player of the Conference before Game 4 tonight./PN
