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No room for complacency for Kings

07/25/2008

Barangay Ginebra guns for a commanding 3-0 lead when it plays a jittery Red Bull team today in the semifinals of the Smart-PBA Fiesta Conference at the Ynares Gym in Antipolo City.

The Kings beat the Bulls in Game One, 108-82, last Sunday, and repeated the trick in Game Two in almost the same fashion, 111-104, to seize a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series which everybody thought would be close. They will face the Bulls in Game Three today at 7:50 p.m. at Ynares Gym.

Notwithstanding that 2-0, coach Jong Uichico just would not relish their series advantage, saying 2-0 is still nothing, specially when you are up against a team like Red Bull.

“It’s good to be 2-0, but it’s still very far. I believe we still need to win four games to reach the finals, kaya wala pa ito,” Uichico maintained. “Our mindset is that unless we have won four games in this series, we just could not relax. That should be our character. Mahirap na. If we need that win on Friday (today), lalong kailangan nila (Bulls) ’yan to stay in contention. So we expect another tough game on Friday.”

“I was once in the same situation when we were down at 0-2, and we were able to come back to win the championship,” said Uichico, referring to last season’s Philippine Cup where they trailed San Miguel in the finals at 0-2, before sweeping the championship.

“That’s why we cannot really discount Red Bull this early. Medyo nawala na yung pagiging rusty nila, so I believe they will make big adjustments in Game Three,” he said.

The Kings, though, will set out today without Alex Crisano, who was slapped with one-game suspension on top of P20 fine for committing Flagrant Foul Penalty 2 against a driving Jojo Duncil in Game Two.

The momentum, meanwhile, swung into Air21’s side when the Express bounced back in Game Two to nip the Magnolia Beverage Masters, 103-102, to level their separate series at one game apiece.