ANY coach will certainly gush on his team’s perfect start but not tactician Jorge Gallent of defending champion San Miguel Beer.
“We just think game by game. We will prepare for Terrafirma,” Gallent said. “They’re playing well. Their losses were kind of tight so we cannot be overconfident with this team.
“We just have to play hard and play our usual game and not be complacent against them,” he added.
Whether the Beermen heed their coach’s challenge will be known when they clash with the Dyip today in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila.
The game is set at 4:30 p.m., with SMB staking its 4-0 mark against a Terrafirma side that will go into the duel on a high after scoring a 91-85 upset of Ginebra three nights back.
NorthPort, also on a roll after winning four of its first five outings, tries to forge a tie for second when it tackles Magnolia in the nightcap at 7:30.
Gallent, whose charges nipped the Kings 95-92 last Friday, said they must work on their transition defense, especially against the Dyip’s running attack anchored on star guard Juami Tiongson and this year’s top rookie pick, Stephen Holt.
“We try to improve every game. We have to be better. In our four games, our transition defense was not good but it’s getting there. We just have to practice it more and see what happens,” Gallent said.
“Our game against Ginebra was a very good gauge for us. We shot the ball well and defended well, especially in the endgame when we were only up by four.”
The Beermen’s bid to stay unscathed hinges largely on how reigning seven-time MVP June Mar Fajardo, CJ Perez, Terrence Romeo, Marcio Lassiter, Chris Ross, and Don Trollano would perform.
Dyip strategist Johnedel Cardel pointed to a total team effort as one of the keys as they try to bring down another title favorite in the season-ending tilt.
“As long as tuloy lang ang pagtutulungan sa loob and we continue to play as a team,” Cardel said. “Especially sa defense, and within the system, baka makasilat ulit.”
Aside from Tiongson and Holt, Terrafirma will pin its hopes on Javi Gomez de Liaño, Kemark Cariño, and Isaac Go.
The Hotshots are aching to rediscover their winning ways after falling in their last two tiffs, counting a 74-87 defeat to the NLEX Road Warriors last Saturday that dropped them to 1-2.
Ian Sangalang, Mark Barroca, Paul Lee, Jio Jalalon, and Calvin Abueva, expected to return after a one-game suspension for flashing a dirty finger at a fan, will be counted upon to deliver by Magnolia.
