Ginebra must battle fatigue in bid to survive

MANILA, Philippines - Ginebra San Miguel has survived four do-or-die playoff games so far in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup and to clinch the title, must do it thrice more as the Barangay battles to stay alive from a 0-2 hole against Alaska in the best-of-five Finals. It’s a thrice-to-beat advantage for the Aces who are itching to close out the series in Game 3 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum tonight.

Despite the odds, Ginebra coach Alfrancis Chua isn’t giving up. “We’re battling the fatigue factor,” he said. “Vernon (Macklin) is hurting. His right thigh was banged up in a collision with Jayson Castro in Game 5 of the Talk ‘N’ Text series. It’s swollen. He’s getting all kinds of treatment to relieve the pain but you can see, his mobility is limited and he has little lift. No matter what happens, I’m proud of my team. I told (Alaska coach) Luigi (Trillo) when we shook hands after Game 2, we’ll fight it out, at least we’re in the Finals and we deserve to be.”

Chua said Ginebra made a push late in Game 2 last Friday without Macklin. “We’ll pace Vernon in Game 3, maybe play him hard for five minutes then rest then back again,” he said. “It’s the same thing with L. A. (Tenorio). Everyone’s tired after surviving four do-or-die playoffs but we’re still alive. We’re not quitting.”

Chua said he did several change-ups in defense in Game 2 and the 1-3-1 zone worked for a while. “I tried to mix it up,” he said. “If we play man-to-man from the start, we’ll be exhausted by the fourth period. They play a floating zone when Vernon has the ball at the post, using (Rob) Dozier in the middle to slide over to double. Talk ‘N’ Text did the same thing against us only they weren’t as big. If Dozier doubles, Kerby (Raymundo) gets to shoot from outside so they can’t sag.”

In the dugout after Game 2, Chua said he told his team the fight isn’t over. “I know they’re tired but I reminded them there’s still a Game 3 and we’re not out of it,” he said. Assistant coach Juno Sauler said no one is quitting. “Players and coaches are helping each other out and discussing what adjustments are needed for Game 3,” he said. “We’re coming out for Game 3 fighting.”

To capture the title, Ginebra must beat Alaska thrice in a row – a tall order since Ginebra hasn’t beaten the Aces in four games this conference. Game 3 will be Ginebra’s fourth outing in eight days.

Alaska coach Luigi Trillo expected Ginebra to put pressure on the Aces in Game 2. “We did things well in Game 1 and will continue to do that,” he said. “Macklin has to make his free throws. We will have some things also in our pocket to get them thinking about in the series. They can’t get into a rhythm.”

As for Dozier, Trillo paid tribute to his import. “Rob does so much,” he said. “He can dominate without being the go-to guy. He can get aggressive and also do the dirty work. Whatever Ginebra gives, we can look for ways for him to contribute on the court. Against Talk ‘N’ Text, Ginebra was lucky to play without (Jared) Dillinger, (Jimmy) Alapag, Ranidel (de Ocampo) and (Kelly) Williams. I would like to think that we can play better defense than Talk ‘N’ Text did against them.”

Dozier has outplayed Macklin in the series, compiling 29 points, 42 rebounds and six blocked shots to the Ginebra import’s 24 points, 27 rebounds and one blocked shot. In Game 2, Dozier played seven more minutes than Macklin who nursed throbbing pain in his right thigh. At one point in the second half, Macklin was about two or three strides away from attacking the basket with only R. J. Jazul in his path and suddenly stopped in his tracks to pass, clearly indicating his limited mobility.

Unlike in Game 1 where Ginebra started out flat and fell behind 28-6 in the first period, the Barangay was fired up in the opening quarter of Game 2. Ginebra surged on top, 11-4, and knocked down five triples in the first 12 minutes then Alaska clamped down on defense in the second period, limiting the Barangay to 28.6 percent field goal shooting without a single trey. Macklin finished the half without a field goal and only three points from the line.

What killed Ginebra’s chances in Game 2 was Alaska’s dominance off the boards. The Aces had more rebounds, 65-46 and more second chance points, 12-4. Sensing Ginebra’s fatigue, Alaska stepped on the gas in transition and broke through with 10 fastbreak points to the Barangay’s six. With Alaska controlling the glass, the Aces were able to dictate tempo and put Ginebra on the defensive.

Veterans Jay-Jay Helterbrand and Raymundo kept Ginebra afloat in the fourth period, combining for 19 points but the surge came too late. Alaska’s Dondon Hontiveros crushed the Ginebra uprising with four triples in the payoff quarter and Sonny Thoss sealed it with a three-point play down the stretch. Alaska shot only 41.6 percent from the floor but still scored 104 points to Ginebra’s 90. The Aces had the edge in free throws made, 20-of-26 to Ginebra’s 10-of-15 and held the Barangay to 38.5 percent field goal shooting. Another department where Alaska had a huge advantage was in blocked shots with the Aces swatting seven and Ginebra only one.