Tigers relish underdog role

MANILA, Philippines - Powerade coach Bo Perasol said yesterday the Tigers are confident of bouncing back from a 16-point loss to Talk ‘N’ Text in Game 1 of the PBA Philippine Cup finals and promised a fight to the finish because they won’t let down the fans who’re cheering for the underdog.

 “It’s no different from the Rain Or Shine series where we lost Game 1 by 17,” said Perasol. “We knew deep in our hearts, we could win the series, that we could match up with them even if we lost Game 1 by a big margin. Of course, Talk ‘N’ Text isn’t the same team as Rain Or Shine. They’ve got a deeper bench, they’re bigger, they’re longer. They create a lot of mismatches. Still, we think we can compete with them. It doesn’t matter whether we’re down 0-1 or 0-3 in the series. We believe if we play together, we can win the championship.”

Perasol said Game 1 is now history but there were positive signs that the Tigers will carry over to Game 2 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum tomorrow night.

“We know we’re up against a giant but what I like about our team is the attitude of our players,” he said. “They play with the same kind of confidence regardless of whether our opponent is at the top of the standings or at the bottom. We’re not afraid of any team. In Game 1, we didn’t expect Talk ‘N’ Text to shoot the lights out right in the first quarter. Our gamble was we’d let them shoot from the outside because it was an out-of-town game and it usually takes some time to adjust to the rims. But if we were confident coming in, I think they were just as confident. They hurt us with efficient shooting in the first quarter and led by 17 early. We were competitive in the next three quarters but we couldn’t overcome their strong start.”

Sitting out point guard Jvee Casio was a painful decision and his absence was telling. “We were disrupted without Jvee,” said Perasol. “His hamstring injury is like a traitor. You warm up, you think you’re okay then when the game begins, the pain will come back before you know it. The coaching staff decided to sit him just before the game started. We made the sacrifice, knowing it’ll be a long series. We felt we could win a game without Jvee but we won’t win a series without him. We’ve got a tripod on our team with Gary (David), Marcio (Lassiter) and Jvee. If any one of those guys is absent, we’re crippled. That’s why it’s crucial for other guys to step up. Jvee’s absence is no excuse. We play with the cards we’re dealt. Luckily, we’ve got a two-day rest before playing Game 2. We think Jvee will be more ready to play Monday than last Friday. We know he won’t allow himself to sit out another game.”

Perasol said he’s not as worried about the Texters’ bigs as he is about their wings and guards. “We’d rather defend their bigs posting up one-on-one than chase their wings and guards who are deadly from the outside,” he said. “Their guards like to post up against our smaller guys and we’ve got to make adjustments in defending the mismatch. Then, you’ve got guys like Jimmy (Alapag), Larry (Fonacier) and Ryan (Reyes) hitting from the perimeter.”

In Game 1, Talk ‘N’ Text beat Powerade in a shootout, knocking down 13 triples to the Tigers’ nine. Jayson Castro buried three treys en route to finishing with 23 points to go with six rebounds and eight assists. Reyes had four triples, Fonacier three, Ranidel de Ocampo two and Alapag one.

“They shot over 40 percent from three-point distance,” noted Perasol. “We’ve got to find a way to lower that percentage. They’re a deadly three-point shooting team and the challenge is for us to contain their creation.”

Perasol said he couldn’t have asked more from the Tigers in Game 1. “They never gave up,” he said. “Gary struggled from the field but didn’t stop trying. He never lost hope. He kept attacking. We’re not giving them any psychological advantage. We’re staying our tripod isn’t holding up, we’ll find others to fill in. Gary might be limited in one game but you can’t limit him every game in a series. I expect this to be a long series.”

What buoyed the Tigers’ spirits in Game 1 in Digos last Friday was the overwhelming fan support. “I don’t think the fans cheering for us were normal Powerade fans,” he said. “I think they’re recent converts, fans who like to cheer for the underdog and who saw how we competed against B-Meg and Rain Or Shine. We might not have a superior lineup, man for man, against Talk ‘N’ Text but we can win with chemistry, teamwork and spirit. I told the guys we’re not just fighting for ourselves and our families. We’re doing this for the fans, we can’t let them down. We’ve proved so much in the quarterfinals and the semifinals. Now, we’ve got to prove ourselves worthy of being an inspiration to the fans who’re cheering for the underdog. We’ve got the support of the masses. This is a rare opportunity for us to beat the odds. We can’t let this chance pass by. We’ve got to grab it and show we can win. The fans are counting on us. We’ll keep fighting for them.”