Whatever happened in 2010 is history. So Talk N’ Text coach Chot Reyes considers Game 1 of their PBA Philippine Cup semifinal series against B-Meg Derby Ace as a thing of the past.
On that perspective, Reyes said he and his Tropang Texters have put behind whatever happened last year and “want to start the year right.”
Obviously there’s no better way to start the new year than by winning their first game in 2011.
TnT and defending champion Derby Ace resume their series at 5 p.m. on Wednesday at the Araneta Coliseum with the Tropang Texters out to re-establish momentum.
The Texters took the series opener, 98-91.
Reyes, who has won the All-Filipino championship with three different teams, said his troops are
coming into the game with a mindset of keeping the pressure on their fourth–ranked rivals.
“We’re approaching the game as if the series is 0-0. That’s how important the game is to
us,” Reyes said.
Determined to stay sharp and in game shape, the Texters, who are aiming for their third
All-Filipino crown, spent the holiday break practicing in the gym.
“Our thinking is that we’re starting from scratch. Anything can happen on the floor kaya
kailangan magtrabaho,” Reyes said.
Most observers believe the injury-plagued defending champs are overmatched against the Texters but George Gallent, the Derby Ace coach, keeps his faith on his team.
He maintains that despite their deficiencies, his wards can give the powerhouse Texters a run for their money.
“We’ll I’m playing the number 1 team and down 1-0 [in the series]. So, we have to come out
with a lot of intensity and execute our plays,” offered Gallent, who has a chance to become only
the sixth coach in the league to win a championship in his first tournament.
That the Llamados nearly snatched victory in Game 1 is a strong testament that the defending
champions have the ability to beat the top seeded Texters, Gallent said.
“We just have to play our game, play our roles and stop their key players,” he added.
More importantly, Gallent added, the Llamados have to play physical the way the Texters do it and minimize their turnovers.
In Game 1, Derby Ace committed 17 miscues that led to 12 TnT fastbreak points and a total of 26 points off those turnovers.
