Siot, Kings finally get act together in Philippine Cup

BARANGAY Ginebra San Miguel head coach Siot Tanquingcen nailed back-to-back victories in the 2013 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup.

But Tanquingcen said more lessons are to be learned and he encouraged his Kings to work extra harder and continue playing their respective roles.

After a five-game losing streak, Ginebra sprang back to life with two straight wins, the
latest a huge 104-101 victory over defending champion Talk ’N Text on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

For that, Tanquingcen commended his players for finally understanding their respective roles in the team.

“The guys are starting to understand that we need to involve everybody,” said Tanquingcen minutes after beating the league-leading Tropang Texters.

“The guys, especially the veterans, know the responsibility of when your shots are coming. Hindi naman lahat puwede tumira. But we also need help sa mga batang players namin. It should be balanced,” he added.

Mark Caguioa, LA Tenorio and Rudy Hatfield starred in the Kings’s big win over Talk ’N Text that put them in the middle of the standings with a 4-5 win-loss record.

Caguioa had 22 points and 11 rebounds, Tenorio also drilled 22 markers and the tireless Hatfield dished out an impressive performance of 12 points and 13 rebounds, seven on the defensive end.

Tanquingcen also drew quality minutes from rookies Yousef Taha, who was acquired by the team in a trade with Air21 for Mike Cortez, and Chris Ellis.

Elmer Espiritu and Rob Labagala, who was activated after Dylan Ababou suffered a season-ending ACL injury, also gave the squad quality minutes against Talk ’N Text.

Taha only had three points and two rebounds in 12 minutes in his Ginebra debut but those numbers were enough to give the coaching staff a glimpse of what he could do. Ellis finished with 11 points on four-of-six shooting from the field. But the temperamental Kings mentor hopes that this time his wards would not be complacent with the little success they have gained.

“Hopefully things will continue to work, understanding each other’s role. It’s our heart and desire to win. Panahon pa ni Senator Jaworksi ’yan,” he said, referring to the never-say-die attitude that has made the team the most popular in the country.

“But it’s still a big challenge. Every game will be a struggle. We have to keep on improving and not let these two wins put us in the sense of security. That’s crucial. The mental aspect should be strong,” Tanquingcen added.

The Kings’ next two games will be against teams they yielded to earlier this season—Alaska (5-4) and Rain or Shine (6-2).

Source: Businessmirror.com.ph