Caguioa on Game 2 meltdown: 'We can still fix this'

MANILA, Philippines – The scene inside Ginebra’s locker room after Game 2 was the exact opposite of Game 1.

The players went in without a word after squandering a nine-point lead, 68-59, at the start of the fourth quarter to surrender a heartbreaker, 85-79, that allowed the Talk n Text Tropang Texters to level the series at one game apiece.

Kerby Raymundo, who led the Kings with 17 points but missed a crucial jumper in the dying minutes, stared blankly while Mark Caguioa, who was once again reduced to being a cheerleader on the bench, bowed his head down, perhaps, thinking what could have been if he was there on the court when the Tropang Texters mounted that furious comeback.

Ginebra coach Alfrancis Chua and his staff were in the other locker room, adjacent to theirs, dissecting what went wrong in that fourth quarter meltdown.

Rudy Hatfield, whose hustle and energy the Kings badly missed in this game due to ankle injury, broke the deafening silence.

“We have long days to think it over. We should think what playoff basketball is all about,” Hatfield told his teammates as they head to a long break to make way for the PBA All Star Week in Digos, Davao del Norte.

The semifinals will not resume until May 8.

“A lot of guys here, we’ve been here before. We should know what playoff basketball is. We should be playing that type of basketball.  If they get an And1, they should never get again… ever,” Hatfield added.

Caguioa, who alongside Hatfield will return to action in Game 3, thinks that this series is for them to lose.

“We didn’t pass the ball well unlike in Game 1.  At least we’re not down 0-1, the series is tied. We can still fix this,” Caguioa encouraged his teammates.

The Kings’ offense went stagnant in the fourth quarter. In a complete opposite of Game 1, the Tropang Texters found a way to silence Ginebra’s sixth man – majority of the 17, 273 crowd – limiting the Kings to just nine assists, a far cry from the 21 they allowed in the series opener.

Then came Chua followed by his coaching staff. The long-haired mentor, who is credited for bringing back the never-say-die spirit of old to this injury-riddled Ginebra team, hurriedly huddled his boys at the center but carefully addressed the team not wanting to dampen their spirits.

“We were almost there. We were up by nine in the fourth. We relaxed. They tied the series. It’s a best-of-three now. But we got a chance. Focus on the next game,” Chua said in his quick short post-game huddle.

Caguioa, being the leader of this team that rose up from 0-4 start to make it this far, spoke up one more time before the team huddle broke up.  

“I’m sick and tired of seeing these guys (Talk n Text) going to the finals and winning championships. It’s about time we should be there.  The last time we’re there was still in 2008.”