Kings need to find energy says Helterbrand

MANILA, Philippines – You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out what hit Brgy. Ginebra San Miguel in the one-sided Game 1 loss to Alaska.

Jayjay Helterbrand, who struggled for only seven points in Game 1 after a stirring run in early in the playoffs, attributed their loss to their lack of energy and focus.

“We came out way way too relax and they [Aces] came in very focused and ready,” Helterbrand said.

The Kings were dumbfounded as the Aces raced to a sizzling 14-0 start. They never recovered from that poor start and even trailed by as many as 29 points early in the second half.

“We can’t be satisfied that we’re in the finals. This [Alaska] is the number one team throughout the conference. If we take them lightly, we’ll get murdered every [game] night,” Helterbrand added.  â€œWe have to come out with a better focus and play the way Ginebra plays especially defensively.”

Ginebra allowed Alaska to shoot 46 percent from the field and seven three-pointers leading to the 87-70 Game 1 rout.

The Aces though came in fresher than the Kings, who have only clinched the Finals berth last Sunday in a gruelling knockout game against the Philippine Cup champion Talk n Text. Alaska, meanwhile, finished off San Mig Coffee in Game 4 a day earlier.

“The Talk n Text series took a lot of our energy. They were really a tough team. But that’s not an excuse. This is the finals. We have to forget about that,” said Helterbrand, who was the league’s MVP in 2008.

Looking to rebound in tonight’s Game 2 at the Mall of Asia Arena, Ginebra will need the energy that typified their 6-game winning run in the eliminations after a 0-4 start and the two upset wins against the past two league champions in the earlier rounds of the playoffs.

“Wherever we can get that energy, we have to find it somewhere and we have to bring it to make a run at the championship,” Helterbrand said.