Tigers determined to advance, says David

MANILA, Philippines - With two games left in Coca-Cola’s PBA Philippine Cup schedule, newly reacquired Gary David said yesterday the Tigers are dead set to survive the double-round eliminations and advance to the wildcard playoffs.

David and Chico Lanete were traded by Burger King to Coca-Cola for Alex Cabagnot and Wesley Gonzales two weeks ago. They will make their first appearance in a Tigers uniform against Rain Or Shine at the Araneta Coliseum tonight.

David, 31, was Coca-Cola’s first round pick and 10th overall in the 2004 draft. He played two conferences with the Tigers then was dealt to Fed-Ex, later renamed Air-21 and Burger King.

Only one of the PBA’s 10 teams will not make it to the playoffs. Rain Or Shine (4-12), Coca-Cola (4-12) and Barako Bull (3-13) are battling to avoid an early vacation. The Elasto Painters play the Tigers tonight and Alaska on Jan. 22 in their remaining outings. Barako Bull faces Sta. Lucia Realty on Sunday and Coca-Cola on Wednesday to complete its schedule.

The Bulls-Tigers game could come down to a do-or-die knockout to decide which team will be eliminated.

“It’s an uphill climb,” said David. “Coach Bo (Perasol) is confident that we’ll be in the playoffs. We have to work hard to do it. Management has supported us all the way. It’s too bad Asi (Taulava) got injured. He missed nine games and we won only once without him. But he’s back. I’m excited to be back, too. Coach Bo and I were together for almost five years so I’m familiar with his system.”

Since Taulava’s reactivation, Coca-Cola has won three of five, beating Burger King, Alaska and San Miguel Beer while losing close decisions to Sta. Lucia Realty and Barangay Ginebra. David said things are falling into place.

“We just have to believe in ourselves,” said David. “It’s all about playing with a winning attitude.”

David said he doesn’t foresee a problem of sharing time with two-guard Mark Macapagal who’s hitting at a 13.8 clip.

“I can play two or three and Mark was my teammate in the PBL so we know each other well,” said David. “Besides, a lot of PBA teams are using three-guard lineups now so coach Bo can play Marvin (Cruz), Chico or Chris (Ross) at point guard, Mark at offguard and me or R. J. (Rizada) at small forward. We can become a running team with Asi controlling the boards.”

David said he can’t wait to play for the Tigers. He would’ve suited up against the Beermen last Wednesday but sat out a one-game suspension for committing a flagrant-2 foul in Burger King’s 85-74 loss to Purefoods last Dec. 25. Lanete also skipped the San Miguel contest, nursing a slight hamstring strain.

Perasol confirmed that David and Lanete will play tonight.

“We’re all excited,” said David. “Asi told me he’ll take care of the inside and I can operate in the perimeter and open court. Asi’s working very hard to make us a strong team. He’s helping out our big guys like Dennis Espino, Ken Bono, Larry Rodriguez and Ricky Calimag in the gym. He’s a very positive influence on all of us. Our veteran guards Rodney (Santos) and Dale (Singson) are also giving us advice at practice.”

David said playing for coach Yeng Guiao at Burger King was a big break in his career.

“I learned a lot from coach Yeng, particularly in becoming a complete player,” he said. “In his system, there are no superstars and I couldn’t just be an offensive player. I had to contribute in defense, too. In the PBA, you’ve got to be able to play both ends. You can’t be a one-sided player.”

David said stepping into a situation where Coca-Cola is fighting to stay alive is a challenge he’s ready to take with his new teammates.

“I’m a professional so when I was traded, I accepted it and looked forward to continue playing hard,” said David. “I know there’s pressure on our team to win but I’m not thinking of that. I’m not thinking I’m Gary David and I’m supposed to score a lot of points. I’ll be out there to play my role, work hard and do my part in coach Bo’s system.”

What’s inspiring David is his family.

Whenever he troops to the line for a free throw, David kisses a tattoo of his wife Jenny Rose on his right bicep - a ritual he started last conference.

“It’s good luck,” said David, referring to his free throw routine. “Jason Kidd used to do something similar, blowing a kiss before shooting a free throw. For a while, I stopped kissing the tattoo and just touched it with my right hand before shooting a free throw. But my shooting percentage went down, maybe because my right hand got sweaty so I’m back to kissing.”

Last season, David led the league in foul shots made and free throw percentage. This conference, he’s averaging 13.9 points and shooting .779 from the stripe. David has scored in double figures in nine of his last 10 outings.        

David, a devoted family man, said he wants his wife and two daughters Maxine, 6, and Garielle, 2, in the stadium to watch all his games. “They come all the time,” he said. “When I’m playing in the first game, Maxine can’t watch because of her school but if it’s the second game, they’re all complete.”