Target ng Hotshots kontra Kings.
Sa una nilang paghaharap, nagawang biguin ng Star ang kanilang dating headcoach na si Tim Cone para sa kanyang bagong hawak na koponang Barangay Ginebra noong Oktubre 25.
Tinalo ng Stars ang Barangay Ginebra sa iskor na 86-78 sa kanilang unang laro.
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Gayunman, sa kanilang nakatakdang muling pagtutuos sa darating na quarterfinals sa ginaganap na 2016 PBA Philippine Cup, alam ni Hotshots coach Jason Webb na kakaibang Gin Kings ang kanilang makahaharap ngayong araw ng Pasko sa pagsisimula ng “playoff round.”
“I’m not actually updated with their (Ginebra) winning streak is, three? That’s exactly it. That’s a team that has figured out a way to win,”pahayag ni Webb.
“The first time that we met that was a team that was still figuring out how to play together. Now, they’re already on a different level that they’ve already figured out a way to win,” dagdag pa nito.
Katunayan, nagsimula ang Kings sa barahang 1-3, panalo-talo, bago unti-unting umangat at nitong huli ay nakapagtala ng 3-game winning streak sa pag-usad nila sa quarters taglay ang bentaheng twice-to-beat.
Ngunit higit kay Cone, mas pinagtutuunan ng pansin ng Hotshots na maipanalo ang kanilang laban ngayong Pasko upang makapuwersa ng winner-take-all at buhayin ang tsansa nilang umusad sa semifinal round.
“I think on the first time that we met, people didn’t really have a gauge of the two teams but maybe now, we enter [the playoffs] as the underdog, but we relish that situation,” ayon kay Webb.
“It just so happened that we’re the ones matched up with each other. We were hoping that maybe we’ll meet later on, but we’re in the bottom and they’re at the top.
“I’d like to think that it’s always more than just who you’re playing, but what you’re playing for. And we’re playing for a chance to survive,” wika pa ni Webb. “Kahit ano pang team ‘yan, I think players know na must-win siya.
That’s what it simply is.
“I hope that we put it together. We haven’t had a winning streak and if there’s a time for that to happen, it’s now.
We haven’t had back-to-back wins and hopefully, by now, we’ve learned how to handle those little successes that we have and try to get things going.”
