Tigers stick with Sanford despite skid

Despite a late skid and a new offer for possible import replacement, Coca-Cola seems to have decided to live or die with Mark Sanford even with his injured knees.

Coach Chot Reyes sees it improper and impractical to gamble on a new import with the proximity of crucial games his team is about to play in the Gran Matador PBA Fiesta Conference.

"Dikit-dikit na ang importanteng games. After Sunday, siguradong may playoff, kaya mahirap ng magpalit," said Reyes whose Tigers fell to third place in a tie with the Red Bull Barako Thunder and the Alaska Aces after losing their last two games.

Actually, Reyes has a back-up import in Tate Decker but the mentor has opted not to use him with the former Missouri Tiger not improving in practice.

"Hindi makundisyon," said Reyes of their back-up import they signed to a two-week contract.

US-based import agent Bobby Rius offered former Shell import John Best but Reyes thought the offer came a bit late. "Magandang offer sana kaya nga lang late na," Reyes said.

In a bid to "shock up" his team, Reyes made a drastic move Tuesday of reactivating Rudy Hatfield from the injured list then putting his second best point guard Ato Morano on the reserve list.

"Sometimes, you have to do drastic move like that to shock up the team when it gets complacent. Mukhang nakatulong naman, maganda ang inilaro namin kaya lang sobrang ganda ang inilaro ng Talk n Text," said Reyes.

Feeling he has delivered a message to the team, Reyes reactivated Morano yesterday. Put on the reserve list in place of Morano was Gilbert Lao.

The Tigers need to beat the Shell Turbochargers on Sunday to have a shot at least at the twice-to-beat incentive.

Meanwhile, Sta. Lucia import Derrick Brown faces a possible fine from the Commissioner’s Office after incurring a technical foul for throwing the ball on Shell’s Ronald Tubid in their game Wednesday. Earlier, he was called an infraction for swinging his elbow also on the Shell guard.

"Kung kailan non-bearing game saka pa napikon. Sabi ko nga makulit lang naman yong si Tubid, parang iyong coach niya," Sta. Lucia coach Alfrancis Chua said in jest to Shell counterpart Leo Austria.