Expect adjustments from San Miguel, TNT in Game 2 of Finals today
Game Today
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
7 p.m. – San Miguel Beer vs TNT KaTropa
NASH Racela’s young coaching career in the PBA has been laden with predominantly two things: Safe answers during interviews and success.
“We will make the adjustments for Game 2,” Racela, with a straight face, opened up on Wednesday night, looking and sounding like he and his TNT KaTropa were the ones on the losing end of a 104-102 decision of favored powerhouse San Miguel Beer at the start of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals.
The rookie Racela won’t talk openly of situations in his team— even if you press him for it — especially at this time in the title playoffs where import Joshua Smith’s state of health is a major issue.
But that’s not important. What’s important is that the brilliant mind is delivering and has taken momentum in this best-of-seven series not a few have predicted the Beermen will dominate with ease.
Leo Austria, meanwhile, is the exact opposite and talks at length whenever asked.
“We have less than 48 hours to realize what’s going on,” Austria said, not referring to anything specific after his Beermen trailed most of Wednesday night before failing to cover Smith effectively at winning time.
“But definitely, we will make the adjustments,” Austria said.
You will believe Racela when he says that they will make adjustments, but the burden of coming up with it lies heavily on Austria in the 7 p.m. contest slated at Smart Araneta Coliseum on Friday.
“We need to contain their perimeter shooters,” Austria said as TNT’s outside guns pelted them with the baskets that mattered at the crunch, with Jason Castro’s triple in the dying seconds putting the Beermen in a 99-102 hole.
TNT managed to gut out the win despite playing Smith sparingly. Racela has no choice, with torn ligaments in his import’s right foot making him a liability when the game’s tempo picks up.
When he is on the floor, however, Racela has made it sure that the Texters can maximize his imposing 6-foot-9, 330-pound presence in the shaded lane.
The Texters can run with the Beermen when Smith is on the bench, but when the import is in the game, Racela always calls for Smith to have a touch inside which baffles the San Miguel defense and creates openings for the outside shooters.
Rookie RR Pogoy, a Racela protégé at Far Eastern, fired 13 points in the fourth quarter and finished with 27 in Game 1, with Castro highlighting how that ploy works when he uncorked that trey late.
Charles Rhodes and June Mar Fajardo carried the fight fairly well for the Beermen, who were ousted in the Final Four last year by a Rain or Shine team that was bannered by practically a Smith-like import in Pierre Henderson-Niles.
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