Ginebra imported Justin Brownlee. –PBA IMAGES
Much of Barangay Ginebra’s preparation for the PBA Commissioner’s Cup final depends on the import of Bay Area Andrew Nicholson.
So when the Dragons continued to play without the Canadian ace on Friday night — and with a lot of fun and confidence about it — the crowd’s fans were in awe. fever.
“Going into this game, we weren’t sure if Nicholson was going to play. I guess we fell into that trap. What we feared would happen, happened,” Gin Kings LA veteran Tenorio told reporters after a 94-86 loss in Game 4 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, leveling the series. best of the seven games. one piece.
“The things they were doing changed when [Andrew sat out]. Seems like they played too loosely and too much… Whenever [Andrew] were there, they [Dragons] searched for him. And since his absence, a lot of people have stepped up,” added the tournament’s Iron Man.
“Our mindset is to stop Nicholson at all costs. He has been their point of attack, he continued. “[Tonight,] they are unpredictable. Their talent and strength showed as I pointed out.”
Kobey Lam dropped 30 points thanks to a deadly three-pointer, while Glen Yang and Zhu Songwei each scored 18 points in a scoring effort that filled the scoring gap left by Nicholson, who made him He injured his left ankle during the previous meeting.
“We have to look at our defense. That has brought us to our fate in this game. And they [Dragons] hit really hard shots late in the game, and we shouldn’t let that happen,” said Tenorio.
The darlings of the crowd enjoyed a 12-point lead in the first half and watched that cushion evaporate in the third. In front of 17,236 screaming souls — the second-highest attendance in this title series — Gin Kings slid down a 13-point hole, ultimately missing a golden opportunity to take control of the race.
“Again, they’re a good team and well trained,” said Tenorio of the enemy, who are looking to become the first away team to win it all since Ron Jacob’s Northern United Cement in League of Legends. the Enhanced Conference in 1985.
“They won’t fall easily and we know that when we’re on this series. This is why it is a championship series, he added. “It is time for us to adjust. It’s the best of three now, so we have to have ‘Game 1’ this Sunday.
Optimistic
The Bay Area is likely to continue missing Nicholson as he just started walking again on Friday. But the NBA veteran remains optimistic that he can get back into the game if the series goes far.
“We will watch it day by day to see how it plays out. Hopefully, it will be better [Sunday]. I will continue to have treatment, continue to take some medications and recover,” he said.
“Day by day. I’m trying to be optimistic about it, but we’ll see,” added Nicholson.
Ginebra, which is about to double as the National Team in what many viewers consider to be a “Philippines vs China” clash, is also upbeat.
“Good news on this, we still have a next game. This will hurt differently if this is our last,” said Tenorio.
Continue reading
Register QUESTIONER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer and more than 70 other titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to news, download as early as 4am and share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.
For feedback, complaints or requests, Contact us.
